Abuse Survivors Group Hopes New Bishop Will Take a Stand

Fox 23
April 24, 2014

http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Abuse-survivors-group-hopes-new-bishop-will-take/QcnRzhIlW0SIaa1jbkgyxg.cspx

New details have emerged in the case of a local priest accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year old girl.

Authorities arrested James Taylor, 30, on an Endangering the Welfare of a Child charge.

The district attorney says that alleged relationship went on for seven months and involved physical contact, phone calls, text messages and photos. The Albany Diocese says the victim's family first reported the inappropriate conduct to them and that they referred them to authorities.

Taylor, who is currently a priest for the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Schenectady, was placed on administrative leave immediately after his arraignment, and the Albany Diocese says it will cooperate fully with the investigation.

Richard Tollner with the Survivor’s Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, is hoping the new bishop will take a stand on the issue.

"Bishop Scharfenberger was a promoter of justice down in his past diocese in Brooklyn where he handled cases of sex abuse victims, so I'll be very pleased to see what he actually says in public about this case and about sexual abuse victims all together,” said Tollner.

NEWS10 ABC requested an on camera interview with the bishop, but was declined.