Man Church Ignored Warnings about Priest Lawsuit Filed in New Haven Superior Court, WFSB, March 3, 2010

Man: Church Ignored Warnings about Priest
Lawsuit Filed in New Haven Superior Court

WFSB
March 3, 2010

http://www.wfsb.com/news/22730786/detail.html

[with video]

NEW HAVEN (CT) -- A shoreline man is taking his allegations of sexual abuse against a former pastor public.

Brooks Thopsey claims Pastor John Castaldo made sexual advances inside the church. The lawsuit also names Edward Egan, the former bishop of Bridgeport who is now a cardinal in New York.

Thopsey, now 30, sat by his father and attorneys Wednesday to tell his story for the first time.

Man Files Suit, Alleges Pastor Abused Him

"The parents trust them, the kids are afraid to speak," Thopsey said. "Have them have to be forced to be accountable for what they did."

Thopsey was an altar boy in his youth. Thopsey is now suing the now-defrocked Castaldo and the two men who were running the diocese during the times of the sex abuse allegations -- Egan and Walter Curtis, who is now deceased.

"I was such a young child, there was nothing I could do," Thopsey said. "Tried to fend for myself."

Thopsey said many sexual advances were made, but there was one incident that triggered years of anxiety. He said he was changing into his altar boy robe when Castaldo sexually assaulted him.

"Shut it off, that's all you can do when you're that age -- an innocent child," he said.

The suit, which also names the Bridgeport Diocese, blames church leaders. The suit alleges Egan and Curtis allowed Castaldo to lead the church even though "Prior to his assignment the defendants knew or should have know that Castaldo had disturbing psychological assessments that noted he 'was fearful of his own aggressive drives,' had 'difficulty accepting his own sexual urges and desires as normal,' and was preoccupied with his 'unresolved sexual urges.,' " the suit reads.

Thopsey said he hopes his story helps other possible victims.

"You're a kid, you're 11 -- somebody does this to you, what does your mind do? It's not a natural thing," he said.

Diocese officials said they were surprised by the lawsuit because they said they have corresponded with Thopsey before and were provided information indicating he was not sexually abused by the priest.