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	Catholic Priest's Fate Now Rests in Judge's Hands By Bob Vaillancourt North Bay Nugget May 28, 2009 http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1587093 A Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing five boys a quarter century ago is little more than a predator," a veteran prosecutor told a Sudbury judge in her final arguments Wednesday. Prosecutor Diana Fuller argued Father Bernard Cloutier exploited the position of trust, power and privilege" to befriend the boys and sexually assault them, using alcohol as part of his method of operation. The stories the five alleged victims told were very similar in the way the priest manipulated them and then used them, she said. The testimony of all five had the ring of truth," Fuller added. Cloutier has all of the insidious characteristics of a predator," Fuller said. Cloutier, now 68, is accused of abusing the boys who were then aged 12 to 17 in incidents that took place from 1970 to 1983 at various parishes in the Sudbury area. The charges include seven counts of gross indecency, seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. Cloutier was serving as parish priest at Paroisse Saints-Anges in North Bay when he was charged in June 2007. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His guilt or innocence is now in the hands of Superior Court Justice Paul Kane, who heard seven days of testimony and three days of legal arguments in the case. Justice Kane has indicated he will spend several weeks going over the evidence and the legal arguments before rendering his verdict. Defence lawyer Greg Ellies of North Bay said evidence the accused let the young boys drink at a church rectory showed that obviously, Father Cloutier needed some help with boundary issues." However, that was not evidence he sexually assaulted the boys, Ellies told Justice Kane. He said there were too many inconsistencies and improbabilities in the stories for them to be believed in a court of law. He suggested at least one person came forward because of a lawsuit that has been filed with the Catholic Church over allegations of sexual abuse. Fuller, however, argued it was hard to believe that five people would come forward with these embarrassing, I would suggest courageous, allegations, unless they were true." The complainants, now all adult men, testified Cloutier befriended and then assaulted them. One of the men testified Cloutier fondled him at a camp in Windy Lake Provincial Park in the summer of 1971. He was 17 at the time. Another man testified he was subjected to several incidents over several years, both in Espanola and later at the family's next home in Massey. Two others testified Cloutier assaulted them at a pop and chip" party he hosted solely for them on a Friday night in the fall of 1982. The two were given alcohol by Cloutier, they said. One of the two was 12 at the time. Another man testified Cloutier had fondled him repeatedly while the priest was stationed at St. Louis de France parish in Espanola in the mid-1970s. The man was 15 at the time. Another, a former altar boy, told the trial he woke up in bed one day with the priest lying on top of him. The man said that as a boy he and a friend would often visit Cloutier in the church rectory to listen to music on the priest's stereo system.
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