By Tina Comeau
The Vanguard
January 28, 2011
http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/2011-01-27/article-2178201/Sexual-assault-charges-date-beyond-priesthood/1
 |
| Yarmouth Justice Centre. Tina Comeau photo |
Court documents reveal that many of the allegations of sexual assault facing a former Yarmouth priest occurred after Albert LeBlanc had left the priesthood.
LeBlanc, who turns 82 years old in early March, is facing 40 charges of sexual assault. Broken down, the counts include 11 charges of indecent assault and 29 charges of gross indecency.
A publication ban protects the identities of the three male complainants who the RCMP say were between the ages of seven and 11 at the time of the alleged offences.
Court documents show that in the case of one of the complainants, the offences are alleged to have taken place from 1970 to 1975. But for the other two complainants the charges date back to the timeframes of 1979 to 1985 and 1980 to 1985.
LeBlanc resigned from the priesthood in 1973.
The Archdiocese of Halifax says it was LeBlanc’s choice to leave the priesthood.
“The file indicates that this was his choice. In the letter that he wrote . . . he said he was finding good life as a layperson and hoped to live that way. There is no indication he was asked to leave,” says Marilyn Sweet, a spokesperson for the archdiocese.
“Men leaving the priesthood was a common thing at the time,” she adds. “Many, many priests left at that time, it was a time following changes in the church.”
After leaving the priesthood LeBlanc worked as a caseworker for Family and Children’s Services in Yarmouth, and then started work as a probation office in 1975.
LeBlanc also coached minor hockey.
LeBlanc was arrested at his home in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, on Jan. 6. He is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Yarmouth on March 15.
While this matter is before the courts, LeBlanc is ordered not to have any contact with children under the age of 16. A document filed with the court says there are “no exceptions” to this order.
Court documents describe some of the alleged offences as oral sex and fondling.
When he was a priest, LeBlanc used to organize trips to Boston for altar boys, young hockey players and others from the community to watch NHL games. Aside from watching the games they would get to mingle with NHL players and get their autographs.
None of the allegations before the court pertain to these trips.
The RCMP began its investigation last April after the complainants came forward.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.