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	Molester Priest Given 50 Years By Celinda Emison Worcester Telegram & Gazette March 28, 2009 http://telegram.com/article/20090328/NEWS/903280331/1116 A Catholic priest found guilty Thursday of sexual assault and indecency was sentenced to 50 years in prison by an Eastland County, Texas, jury yesterday. The Rev. Thomas Teczar, 68, was sentenced to 50 years each for three counts of sexual assault and 15 years for one count of indecency with a child. He also was assessed a $10,000 fine for each count. The sentences run concurrently and Rev. Teczar must serve a quarter of the time before he is eligible for parole according to Texas laws in 1990, when the offenses were committed. Judge Steven Herod handed down the sentence. Rev. Teczar was sentenced on his 68th birthday. The seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated for more than two hours before handing down the sentence. It took them less than an hour to return the guilty verdict Thursday. Rev. Teczar was indicted in 2003 for the offenses against an 11-year-old boy in June and July of 1990. He was convicted on the charges in 2007, but the conviction was overturned in October 2008 by the 11th Court of Appeals. In 2007, Rev. Teczar was sentenced by Judge Herod to three 25-year terms for the aggravated sexual assault indictments and a 15-year term for indecency. This time he elected to have the jury set his punishment. Barbara Blaine of Chicago, a founding member of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said she was pleased with the conviction and the sentence. She said she was glad the case was tried in court. "Any time a sexual predator is in jail, then we know he can't hurt any other child," she said. Rev. Teczar served as a priest in the Worcester, Mass., diocese until he was kicked out in 1986 on allegations of misconduct with boys. He was a visiting priest in the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth from 1988-93 and served in several parishes, including St. Rita's Catholic Church in Ranger, where the 11-year-old was abused in 1991. He also served in Catholic parishes in Cisco and Strawn and Tarrant County, according to testimony in the case. According to officials at the Fort Worth diocese, Rev. Teczar is still a permanent member of the Diocese of Worcester, which has asked the Vatican to remove him from the priesthood. Steven H. Foskett of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report. Celinda Emison is on the staff of the Abilene Reporter-News in Texas.
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