Demonstrators Protest Pedophile Priest Michael Wempe Is out of Prison and Living in Leisure World in Seal Beach, by Katherine Nguyen, Orange County Register, June 10, 2007

Demonstrators Protest Pedophile Priest
Michael Wempe Is out of Prison and Living in Leisure World in Seal Beach

By Katherine Nguyen
Orange County Register
June 10, 2007

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1725017.php

Seal Beach — Demonstrators picketed in front of Leisure World in Seal Beach this morning to warn residents that a convicted pedophile priest was living amongst them.

Holding up signs resembling red stop signs, four members of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) informed drivers coming in and out of the gated community that Michael Wempe, a former Roman Catholic priest on parole after serving a three year prison sentence for molesting a boy, had quietly moved back into his condo earlier this year inside the private residential community.

SPREADING THE WORD: Mary Grant, director of the Survivors of Those Abused by Priests, hands out fliers to residents of Leisure World in Seal Beach on Sunday informing them that convicted pedophile priest Michael Wempe has moved back into the private condo community.
Photo by Katherine Nguyen, The Orange County Register

Wempe, 67, has admitted to molesting 13 victims throughout his 36 years as a priest with the Los Angeles Archdiocese but was convicted for molesting one boy. The other alleged reports of abuse were too old by the time of his trial.

Fliers containing detailed information on Wempe's address and his photograph were handed out at the front gate to residents and visitors to Leisure World.

"We're not trying to be alarmist, but the residents here have a right to know that a child molester is among them, especially since summer is coming and grandchildren are going to be visiting," said Esther Miller, a member of SNAP who lives in Huntington Beach.

Those who did roll their windows down to get a flier thanked the picketers for the fliers, with one woman exclaiming, "I can't believe (Wempe's) back."

Contact the writer: knguyen@ocregister.com or 714-796-2298