Pastor Jailed, Catholic Teacher Arrested over Abuse and Porn

The Freethinker
January 12, 2017

http://freethinker.co.uk/2017/01/11/pastor-jailed-catholic-teacher-arrested-over-abuse-and-porn/


Youth pastor Brandon Ernis Lee McDade, left, of Orange County, California, was sentenced to six years in prison this week for sexually assaulting two underage boys, while Daniel O’Connell, a teacher at a Catholic school in Los Angeles was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography.

According to this report, McDade, 31, pleaded guilty to a count of committing lewd acts on a child younger than 14, two counts of committing lewd acts on a child between 14 and 15, all felonies, and a misdemeanor count of child annoyance.

McDade was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The sentencing was handed down Monday.

McDade was a youth pastor at Grace Hills Church in Aliso Viejo when he met the victims, prosecutors said.

The molesting happened on church grounds and with one of the victims at a movie theater in Orange County.

Daniel O’Connell, a physics teacher at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic high school in San Pedro was taken into custody Tuesday morning after a warrant was served at his Rancho Palos Verdes home.

School officials and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles declined an interview, but shared a letter sent out a letter to parents and students alerting them of the arrest.

The Archdiocese was made aware last week that Mr. O’Connell was under investigation and has been cooperating fully with the police since that time. At this time, the police have indicated that Mr. O’Connell’s alleged activities do not involve any students at Mary Star of the Sea High School nor did they take place on the Mary Star campus.

The letter goes on to say that the school has reviewed its Internet filtering and safeguards, and determined that they are functioning appropriately.

O’Connell, 32, was in “full compliance” with requirements for the Archdiocese, including fingerprinting and a clear background check, according to school officials.

He is being held on $20,000 bail.