Evans Found Guilty Again Former Priest Convicted in Abuse Case at Arvada Parish, The Coloradoan, April 10, 2007

Evans Found Guilty Again
Former Priest Convicted in Abuse Case at Arvada Parish
The Coloradoan
April 10, 2007

http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/NEWS01/704100342/1002

Golden - Tim Evans, a former Fort Collins Catholic priest convicted in Fort Collins last month of sexually assaulting a young parishioner, was convicted Monday in a similar case stemming from incidents at another parish.

Evans, 44, was convicted in Jefferson County District Court of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. Prosecutors alleged he fondled a 16-year-old boy between 1995 and 1997 while assigned to the Spirit of Christ Parish in Arvada.

On March 26, Evans was convicted in Larimer County District Court in Fort Collins of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse. A man testified that as a teen, he was molested twice by Evans in 1999 in the rectory of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church in Fort Collins, where Evans was a priest from 1998 to 2002.

Evans

Evans has denied wrongdoing.

He faces 10 years to life in prison when he is sentenced May 30 in the Fort Collins case and two to eight years in prison when he is sentenced May 31 in the Arvada case. Since the Fort Collins conviction, Evans has been jailed at Larimer County Detention Center.

Once he is released, Evans will have to register as a convicted sexual offender. As a registered sex offender, he will not, among other conditions, be able to have contact with minors or be anywhere where minors are likely to be.

Evans was removed from parish ministry in 2002 and from active ministry in 2003.

The Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Denver, issued a statement Monday offering prayers that a process of healing might begin.

"For those who have been hurt by Timothy Evans, I express my deep sorrow and pray for your healing and peace," the statement read. "I also pray for the families and church communities that have been affected by these sad events. I also pray for Timothy Evans and his family."

The statement went on to reiterate how officials of the Archdiocese of Denver promptly reported the allegation of sexual abuse of a minor to law enforcement authorities and immediately following the first allegation of sexual abuse of a minor in 2003 that Evans was removed from ministry.