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	Accused Priest Bought "Silence" By Rebecca Woolley The Manly Daily July 15, 2008 http://www.manlydaily.com.au/article/2008/07/15/11099_news.html AN alleged sex abuse victim "blackmailed" a former Collaroy Plateau priest into paying money into his bank account to buy his silence, a court has heard. Sydney District Court heard yesterday the man tracked down Paul Raymond Evans, a former priest at St Rose of Lima Church, Collaroy Plateau, after he told his pregnant girlfriend about the alleged abuse in 1992. Crown prosecutor Pricilla Adey said he threatened violence towards Mr Evans who subsequently made several payments of hundreds of dollars into the alleged victim's bank account. Mr Evans is charged with sexually assaulting the 36-year-old man when he was a student at Boys' Town at Engadine and three counts of homosexual intercourse with him in 1988 after he had left the school. The former priest has pleaded not guilty to the charges and 16 other child sex allegations against several boys when they were pupils under his care during the '70s and '80s . In a statement, the alleged victim said he did not tell anyone earlier because he thought no one would believe him and he started using drugs to "block out the feelings.'' After telling his girlfriend, he said: "I started getting very angry, remembering stuff.'' He tracked down Mr Evans who was then working as a priest on the Central Coast and confronted him. In her closing statement, Ms Adey said he "had extremely negative feelings towards the accused and had feelings of enacting violence towards him." She said the alleged victim admitted blackmailing Mr Evans after telling him he had drug problems, was going to jail, had no income and his girlfriend was pregnant. She said Mr Evans admitted paying the money but did not report the blackmail to the police or inform the alleged victim's mother. The case continues.
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