Lawsuit Filed over Sexual Assault of Girl on Church Property

By Christina Hall
Detroit Free Press
March 11, 2013

http://www.freep.com/article/20130310/NEWS04/303100236/

A lawsuit has been filed against the Archdiocese of Detroit, a Mt. Clemens church, its pastor and a parishioner who was convicted of a sex crime involving a 14-year-old girl on church property.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Macomb County Circuit Court, seeks at least $25,000 in damages from the archdiocese; St. Peter's Catholic Church and the Rev. Michael Cooney, and Michael Lentini, who was convicted of assaulting the child. It also requests a jury trial.

The lawsuit was filed by the mother of the girl. The family belonged to the church.

The suit cites negligence on the part of the archdiocese, church and Cooney for failing to ensure child abuse or suspected child abuse or inappropriate sexual behavior is reported to authorities.

It states that Lentini, then 19, developed an inappropriate relationship with the girl, including inappropriate communications and phone calls and sending pictures to her. Her parents confronted him and his family, demanding he end such contact.

They also sought consultation and advice from Cooney and other church employees, advising them of the inappropriate material that the girl was receiving from Lentini, the lawsuit says. They were advised of past conduct and messages left for the girl and threats of future inappropriate conduct, the lawsuit says.

It states that the girl's parents again met with church employees in October 2011 and said that she had received sexually explicit photos from Lentini. The next month, he had inappropriate communications and contact with her when they volunteered at a pancake breakfast.

The mother again met with Cooney about her daughter receiving sexually explicit photos from Lentini and told him that Lentini touched her daughter and forced her to engage in sexual conduct, according to the lawsuit.

In December 2011, the girl told her school counselor of the molestation at the pancake breakfast, and the Sheriff's Office was notified. Lentini was convicted of criminal sexual conduct-assault with intent to commit penetration, the lawsuit says.

A man who answered the phone Friday at Lentini's home in Macomb Township declined to comment. A voicemail message left at the church was not returned.

An archdiocese spokesman said in an e-mail Friday that "we have not yet seen the filing at present" and are "not inclined to give comment on it at this time."

Cooney was temporarily suspended after he was accused of failing to promptly report what he knew to law enforcement and provide for a safe environment for children and young people on parish property. He resumed ministry at the church in April 2012, according to a statement from the archdiocese at the time.

Contact: chall99@freepress.com