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	Priest Abuse Victim Accused of Choking Girlfriend By Sean O'Sullivan News Journal February 21, 2011 http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110221/NEWS01/102210327/Priest-abuse-victim-accused-choking-girlfriend WILMINGTON -- A man who last month settled his priest sexual abuse case against a parish in the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington for $1.7 million is now wanted by police in a domestic violence incident. Joseph Curry, 40, of Townsend, was charged with strangling his girlfriend during an argument late Saturday. According to New Castle County police, officers responded to a domestic dispute just after 11:30 p.m. in the Avonbridge community. A 43-year-old woman who identified herself as Curry's girlfriend told them she had been strangled by Curry after an argument. The woman told officers Curry grabbed her by the throat, shoved her on a bed and began choking her. Curry then allegedly released his grip and fled when the woman's daughter came into the bedroom and said she was calling 911. Last year, Curry's case was one of a handful of priest sex abuse cases that was allowed to go to trial while the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington was in bankruptcy proceedings. Curry charged that between 1981 and 1986, he was repeatedly molested by the Rev. Edward B. Carley, who would tie up Curry in priestly vestments and assault him when he was an altar boy at St. Dennis Parish in Galena, Md. Attorneys said Carley would also threaten Curry, who was adopted, that if he told anyone about the abuse he would be taken away from his family and would go to hell. The parish settled with Curry for $1.7 million the week the case was set to go to trial, though Curry was not set to receive the bulk of that money until after the Diocese of Wilmington reached a global settlement with all victims who had pending lawsuits. That settlement happened earlier this month but has not been finalized by bankruptcy court. At the time of the settlement, Curry and his attorneys pointed to the abuse by Carley as a contributing factor in Curry's problems with emotional issues, drugs and alcohol and his criminal record, which includes petty theft, vandalism and resisting arrest. Curry's attorney in the civil case, Thomas Crumplar, declined to comment Sunday. New Castle County police said Sunday that Curry is also wanted by Delaware State Police and has three outstanding warrants. Police are asking anyone with information about Curry's whereabouts to call Officer 1st Class Edwin Maxwell at 395-8172. Contact Sean O'Sullivan at 324-2777 or sosullivan@delawareonline.com.
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