PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
By Paul Peirce
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
A federal jury was seated Thursday morning in Johnstown to hear testimony in the trial of a suspended Somerset County Catholic priest accused of traveling to Honduras to have sex with poor street children during missionary trips.
The Rev. Joseph Maurizio Jr., 70, of Windber has been in jail since federal prosecutors charged him last fall with molesting a boy and possessing child pornography. An indictment in April added charges involving two other boys and alleged the priest illegally sent $8,000 to a charity to help facilitate the trips that ended in 2009.
The priest has denied the allegations.
The judge gave instructions to the jury of seven men and five women when court reconvened at 1 p.m. Thursday. They are expected to hear opening arguments in the afternoon.
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