A day after Rev. Richard R. Lavigne was released from an institute for sex offenders, 11 alleged victims, including two nephews of former District Attorney Matthew J. Ryan Jr., yesterday characterized the priest as a sometimes violent and threatening man who tricked one boy into stealing. The alleged victims, who say they were assaulted between 1967 and 1990, were unaware that Lavigne had been released Wednesday from a Maryland psychiatric center for priests when they spoke at a morning press conference. The conference had been tied to his expected release tomorrow.

The self-described victims, 10 men and a minor, want the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to ban Lavigne, who pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault last year, from ever working with children. They are also seeking an undisclosed amount of damages from the church, which one of the men claimed ignored Lavigne's sexual molestations.

But a church spokesman said much of the information presented yesterday was new to the diocese. Lavigne cannot be given new duties without a review by a lay commission and Bishop John A. Marshall, the spokesman said.

The alleged molestations detailed yesterday occurred in a Canadian motel; in a Goshen camp; in Arizona during a trip; in the Chicopee home of Lavigne's parents; at rectories in Springfield and in the Shelburne Falls section of Shelburne and inside St. Catherine of Siena Church in Sixteen Acres.

"It occurred at both the rectory and the church. There was no one I could talk to about it. I felt dirty, used and damned. Father Lavigne intimidated me by telling me he was God's worker and if I ever told anyone, God would send me to hell," said Raymond J. Chelte II, 37, now of Little Rock, Ark. in a written statement read by Michael W. Wiggins, a lawyer representing the 11.

Speaking at the press conference were four alleged victims: Raymond J. Gouin Jr., 38, and his 37-year-old brother, Joseph; Kenneth R. Chevalier, 34, a distant cousin of Lavigne; and Joseph Shattuck, 19.

Wiggins declined to give addresses for the four, saying only that they live in Western Massachusetts.

Charles Shattuck, the father of Joseph Shattuck and a 10-year-old son who was also reportedly molested, called for the church to keep Lavigne away from youngsters forever. He said he contacted Wiggins and met with the alleged victims a few weeks ago.

The men declined to provide specific details of the molestations, but Wiggins said all had had their genitals fondled by the priest.

Later, Wiggins read written statements by Chelte; Aaron D. DeCato, 20, of Biloxi, Miss.; Brian T. McMahon, a 36-year-old California insurance agent; and his brother, Michael A. McMahon, a 37-year-old Los Angeles TV director.

Ryan nephews involved

The McMahon brothers are the nephews of Ryan, former Hampden County district attorney.

Ryan, when reached by telephone, hung up after a reporter asked about the allegations.

In their statements, the McMahon brothers said they never revealed what happened between 1965 and 1969 until recently. The brothers said they were warned by Lavigne that they would be in trouble because they had drunk wine provided by the priest.

The brothers said they buried the incidents in their minds, but the memories were rekindled when Lavigne was indicted for rape and child molesting charges. He pleaded guilty last year to charges of indecent assault.

The McMahon brothers said they contacted State Police and the Hampshire County District Attorney's Office in late 1991.

They blamed Lavigne for subsequent problems they had with drugs and violence.

"I think it's an atrocity that he has had free rein on young boys with no one to stop him. It seems the Catholic Church decided to turn its head while young boys have had their lives psychologically scarred," Michael McMahon said. "I feel the Catholic Church owes the community, the victims and the victim's parents an explanation of why it allowed this to happen for so long."

Lavigne push recalled

McMahon recalled how Lavigne lashed out at him after he pushed Danny Croteau, a St. Catherine's altar boy, to the floor in a bit of horseplay during an overnight stay in Goshen.

"Father Lavigne saw this and struck me in the face so hard it knocked me down. He seemed enraged with me," McMahon said. "He molested me that night."

Croteau died in April 1972, from a blow to the head. His body was floating in the Chicopee River and no one has ever been charged with the killing.

After the slaying, Lavigne was considered the prime suspect.

Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett said he could not comment on the press conference yesterday because he didn't see it.

"I've communicated with the Croteau family with respect to this matter," he said. "Obviously this is a 20-year-old case and that makes any investigation pretty difficult.

Wiggins read a statement, given by DeCato, now assigned by the Air Force to a post in Mississippi.

DeCato said he was molested in 1986 at the age of 13. He had met Lavigne when his family moved to Colrain and the priest "became an extended family member."

He said he was molested once when he and his two brothers spent a night at the St. Joseph's rectory in Shelburne Falls.

Two of Wiggins' other clients did not attend the conference. Charles Shattuck identified them only as having been complainants in the criminal case against Lavigne last year.

Wiggins said he knew of a 12th alleged victim, but that person chose not to step forward.

In the accounts given yesterday, the men said Lavigne had befriended their families and taken the boys on overnight trips.

They were not molested at every occasion and kept quiet because they were either threatened or convinced no one would believe them.

Terrified

"I was terrified, scared, embarrassed and humiliated," said Raymond Gouin Jr., who recalled that Lavigne took him on a trip to Canada in the late 1960s.

Lavigne registered himself at a motel room and told the 12-year-old Gouin to scale a wall and enter the room through an open window when the priest flashed the lights. Inside, he was molested, Raymond Gouin said.

He said he was also molested at the St. Mary's Church rectory in East Springfield.

"It was humiliating and disgusting. I've been reliving an awful lot of it. It's been stressful on my wife and kids," Raymond Gouin said.

Raymond Gouin said Lavigne would take him to barns and have him go inside and take antique items. Sometimes, he was chased away by people, he said.

He said he now realizes the barns, which contained tractors and other equipment, were not abandoned as the priest had told him and that he was stealing items on Lavigne's behalf.

His brother, Joseph E. Gouin, said Lavigne twice molested him during an overnight trip with a group of altar boys when he was 11 years old.

The Gouin brothers maintained their composure during the press conference. However, Chevalier broke down in tears after recounting how he met Lavigne when he was 9 years old in 1969.

Later, Chevalier said that Lavigne befriended his family during a tumultuous period in his life and made the boy "feel like something special."

He said he was later molested by Lavigne at St. Mary's rectory.

His mother found out 1 1/2 years later and the molestations stopped. The police were never notified he said.

"We were the kind who used to keep things in the family."

Chevalier said he told his fiancee about the molestations last year and agreed to go public.

The final account offered by an alleged victim of Lavigne came from Joseph Shattuck.

He said he was about 13 years old when Lavigne, then pastor at St. Joseph's Church, "took a special interest in me."

Trip to Arizona

He said he accompanied Lavigne on a trip to Arizona where "he sexually molested and raped me."

Joseph Shattuck said the trauma has been "unbearable. . . and the pain, emotional stress linger on."

His 10-year-old brother was allegedly molested by Lavigne four years ago.

Lavigne pleaded guilty last year to two counts of indecent assault in charges involving the Shattuck boys and others.

The boys' father said his family has been in therapy trying to cope with what happened.

Charles Shattuck said he was less concerned about financial compensation and wanted assurances Lavigne would never be allowed to work with children again.

"Money is not the issue. It's the pain and hurt," the father said.

Hours after the press conference, Charles Shattuck told the Union-News he was notified that Lavigne had been released from the St. Luke Institute, a Maryland center that treats priests who molest children.

Father of boys nervous

He would not say who had told him.

"I feel nervous for my boys, my family knowing they might run into him," Charles Shattuck said.

Diocesan spokesman Michael Graziano said the terms of the 52-year-old Lavigne's sentence forbid him from holding a position that would put him in contact with minors for 10 years. The diocese has not been asked by Lavigne for an assignment, he said.

Church lawyers have met with Wiggins, who was "advised of the policy of the diocese to aid any genuine victims of improper conduct. Those discussions are ongoing," Graziano said.

Wiggins described his talks with the diocese as cordial.

He would not reveal how much his clients are seeking in damages or whether they had evidence that the diocese knew of Lavigne's misconduct and let it go unchecked.

Between 1966 and 1991, Lavigne was moved by the diocese to seven different parishes in the four western counties.

Since 1984, more than 400 legal claims totaling $400 million have been filed against Catholic dioceses on behalf of sexual abuse victims or their families.