By Darren Barbee and Mitch Mitchell
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
March 27, 2009
http://www.star-telegram.com/religion/story/1284101.html
The Rev. Thomas Teczar gambled — and lost — at his second trial by letting a jury decide his punishment for raping an 11-year-old boy in Ranger in 1990.
At his first trial in 2007, a judge sentenced the former parish priest in the Fort Worth Roman Catholic Diocese to 25 years in prison.
On Friday, an Eastland County jury sentenced him to 50 years.
Teczar, 68, was convicted Thursday of three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child.
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Jurors returned Friday and gave him a 50-year sentence for each aggravated assault count and 15 years for the indecency count, with the sentences running concurrently. He was also fined $10,000.
He will be eligible for parole in 25 years.
The victim, now in his 30s, said he felt "unbelievably relieved" because of the sentence.
"I know he's not going to be on the streets and that all the children will be safe," he said.
Likely to die in prison
The 50-year sentence means Teczar will likely die in prison, said Russell Thomason, the Eastland County district attorney who prosecuted the case.
"Today [was] Teczar's 68th birthday," Thomason said. "I can't think of a better way for his victims to celebrate Teczar's birthday than for them to know that he won't do this again." Teczar's first conviction was set aside last year because of what an appellate court decided were inadequate qualifications of an expert witness.
Thomason said he never wavered in his resolve to bring Teczar to trial a second time. Male-on-male sexual crimes are typically underreported, Thomason said, and it's likely that other victims have not come forward.
Teczar took the stand during the punishment phase of the trial Friday to protest his innocence, denying even knowing the man who accused him.
Thomason said the jury listened to Teczar admit that he was sexually attracted to teenage males, calling Teczar's testimony in his own behalf "damning."
"I think the jury was outraged at Teczar's history and the nature of the offense," Thomason said. "The child was sexually assaulted orally and anally."
Appeal considered
Robin Norris, who defended Teczar, said he still believes in his client's innocence. Teczar's testimony was necessary if he wanted to be considered for probation, even if it was not especially helpful, Norris said.
Teczar told the jury that he is homosexual and had sex with adult men from time to time while he was an active priest, Norris said. Teczar has been troubled and uncertain about his own sexuality, Norris said.
"It's been very conflicting for him," Norris said. "I think having the prosecution go through his entire life was very painful."
Norris said he was planning to file either a notice of appeal or a motion for a new trial within 30 days.
Other abuse cases
Teczar has been sued repeatedly by people who accuse him of sexually abusing children and young men.
In 1996, he was sued and accused of abusing a 16-year-old, David Lewcon. In 2002 he was sued by George Shea for abuse.
In 2003, he was sued by John Riganati who accused the priest of abusing him when he was 16. All have previously agreed to be identified.
Separately, the Fort Worth Diocese has settled with six of Teczar's accusers, including two in 2005 who received $4.15 million. One of the men who received part of the $4.15 million settlement is the same man who brought the criminal complaint to the Texas Rangers, resulting in the Eastland trial.
Throughout, Teczar has maintained his innocence.
Asked by the Star-Telegram in 2005 if he had sexually abused any children, he responded, "I'm not at liberty to say."
Teczar served as parish priest in Ranger, about 90 miles southwest of Fort Worth, and in other parishes in Eastland and Tarrant counties from 1988 until he left the state in 1993, as police investigated child sex-abuse allegations against two other men.
Teczar is in the process of being defrocked.
Darren Barbee, 817-390-7126 Mitch Mitchell, 817-390-7752 ordbarbee@star-telegram.com.
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