BALTIMORE (MD)
Catholic News Service via National Catholic Reporter
May 22, 2018
The Baltimore Archdiocese said May 22 it has removed a 77-year-old priest from ministry after learning of allegations of child sexual abuse against him dating to the 1970s.
Fr. Luigi Esposito, pastor at Our Lady of Pompei Church in Baltimore, was serving as associate pastor at Our Lady of Pompei when the alleged abuse occurred.
The alleged victim claims the abuse began at age 14 and occurred multiple times while the minor was at Our Lady of Pompei. The priest has denied the abuse occurred.
The archdiocese said in a news release it has been cooperating with the civil authorities.
“On May 17, after receiving permission from civil authorities to make contact with Father Esposito, representatives of the archdiocese met with him to discuss the allegations,” the archdiocese said in a statement. “He denied all the allegations against him. The archdiocese spoke a number of times with the alleged victim and the allegations were consistent.”
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