PENNSYLVANIA
Philly.com
by The Associated Press
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania Catholic diocese and a priest are denying allegations by two sisters who say the priest repeatedly molested them as girls, including one at her First Communion party.
Attorneys for the Altoona-Johnstown diocese and the Rev. Charles Bodziak say he “denies any sexual interest in children and denies he ever utilized his position to ‘groom’ or seek sexual gratification from any child, at any time.”
The Altoona Mirror first reported Wednesday on the church response filed Oct. 7 in Blair County court.
The church attorneys argue the lawsuits filed in June by the sisters, now in their 40s, are barred by the statute of limitations, which requires alleged child-sex abuse victims to sue by the time they are 30.
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