BishopAccountability.org
	Convicted Priest Called before Grand Jury in Probe of LA Archdiocese Associated Press, carried in Star Tribune August 15, 2009 http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/53236842.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DU2EPaL_V_9E7ODiUiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr LOS ANGELES - A former Roman Catholic priest imprisoned for sexually molesting children has been called to testify before a federal grand jury investigating how the Archdiocese of Los Angeles handled claims of abuse, a person with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person, who requested anonymity because the probe is ongoing, said former priest Michael Baker was transferred into federal custody at least three months ago and invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination before the grand jury. The person did not know if Baker would be called to testify again, but added that one other former priest was also involved in the probe. Baker, 61, pleaded guilty in 2007 to molesting two boys and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Baker was temporarily with the U.S. Marshal's Service, although his primary location was at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi in Kern County, said Seth Unger, a state prisons spokesman. A spokesman for the marshals did not immediately return a call. Baker has been accused of molesting nearly 20 children over more than two decades and is considered one of the archdiocese's worst pedophiles and one of the most dangerous to the reputation of Cardinal Roger Mahony, who has previously acknowledged making mistakes in how he handled Baker. Archdiocese attorney Michael Hennigan said in January that federal prosecutors told him Mahony is not a target of the probe. Thom Mrozek, a U.S. attorney's office spokesman, declined to comment Friday. Baker told Mahony in 1986 at a priests retreat that he had molested two young boys from 1978 to 1985, according to church documents. Mahony did not notify police but sent Baker to a residential facility that treated priests for sexual abuse problems.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.