Priest Accused of Criminal Sexual Contact with Another Man after Officiating N.J. Wedding

By Justin Zaremba
NJ.com
February 21, 2014

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2014/02/retired_priest_facing_criminal_sexual_contact_charge_after_performing_nj_wedding.html

A retired Paterson Diocesan priest is facing a criminal sexual contact charge after he allegedly engaged in unwanted sexual contact with another man while on a bus returning from a wedding he officiated this past November.

The Rev. Philip Briganti, 67, of El Paso, Texas, had briefly returned to New Jersey to officiate a wedding at St. Paul's Church in Prospect Park on Nov. 9, and, after the wedding reception, Briganti was on a bus traveling to a hotel when he engaged in unwanted sexual contact with the man, acting Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Randolph Township Police Chief David Stokoe said in a joint statement.

The Diocese of Paterson released a statement Friday saying the man notified the diocese of the incident, as he was not sure what county the bus was in at the time it occurred.

The diocese then "immediately called the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office to report the information it had received," according to the statement.

Morris County First Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Zelante told NJ.com the alleged incident is believed to have occurred while the bus was in transit through the Randolph area.

Briganti was charged Thursday with criminal sexual contact — a fourth-degree crime — but he is currently in Texas and not in custody, Knapp and Stokoe said.

"After notifying all three county prosecutor's offices, the Diocese immediately revoked Father Briganti's priestly faculties and placed him on administrative leave," the diocese said in its statement.

The Diocese of Paterson also informed the Diocese of El Paso, which also revoked his priestly faculties, and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, according to its statement.

"Since he is retired from the military, he is no long under the auspices of Archdiocese for the Military, USA, and is not affiliated with them," Richard Sokerka, director of communications for the Diocese of Paterson, said. "But it is diocesan protocol to notify all Archdioceses and Dioceses where any priest may have served in instances like this."

Briganti, a retired U.S. Army chaplain, holds the rank of lieutenant colonel and served a stint in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, Sokerka said.

The diocese referred all further comment on the case to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

"The investigation is active and ongoing," Knapp and Stokoe said in their joint statement. "Anyone with information relating to these charges is urged to contact the Randolph Township Police Department at 973-989-7010 or the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit at 973-285-6200."