PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Los Angeles Times
By David Zucchino
June 22, 2012, 1:31 p.m.
A Pennsylvania jury Friday convicted Msgr. William J. Lynn of child endangerment for covering up sexual abuse of children by priests, but found the former Philadelphia archdiocese official not guilty of conspiracy and another endangerment charge.
Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. to be tried and convicted on charges related to the church scandal in which priests across the country sexually abused children for years. In the landmark case, prosecutors said Lynn reassigned pedophile priests in Philadelphia while covering up allegations of sexual abuse.
The jury of seven men and five women deadlocked on attempted rape and child endangerment charges against the Rev. James J. Brennan, prompting the judge in the case to declare a mistrial on those charges. Prosecutors could decide to retry Brennan.
By assigning pedophile priests to unsuspecting parishes, prosecutors said, Lynn exposed more children to potential abuse in an attempt to protect the church’s reputation and stave off lawsuits. Prosecutors produced a list that Lynn compiled in 1994 naming 37 priests in the archdiocese who had been identified as pedophiles or were suspected of sexually abusing children.
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