By Associated Press
New York Times
May 17, 2000

Bellmore, NY - A retired priest who had served in several parishes around Long Island has been charged with sodomy involving a 15-year-old boy, the Nassau County police said today.

The priest, the Rev. Andrew Millar, was arrested on May 7 at Tobay Beach, just east of Jones Beach, said Detective Lt. Arthur McLoughlin.

Father Millar, 69, who retired about a year ago and was living at a church rectory at SS. Peter and Paul Church in Manorville, sodomized the boy in the bathroom of a beach pavilion that afternoon, the police said.

The boy, described by the police as "learning disabled," was accompanied to the bathroom by his father, who waited outside. At some point, Lieutenant McLoughlin said, the victim's father went in to check on his son.

"When he got inside, he found his son and the suspect in a stall. The suspect fled the bathroom and the victim's father chased him, and along with a witness they were able to detain him for the police."

Asked to elaborate, he said: "This is not a forceful situation. This is a situation where a learning disabled child was taken advantage of." By "learning disabled," the lieutenant said he meant that the boy's father "describes him as learning disabled; he is in development several years beneath his actual age."

Father Millar, who was not dressed as a priest when arrested, was charged with one count of third-degree sodomy. He was released on $7,500 cash bail and ordered to return to court June 15. He had no prior criminal record, the lieutenant said.

Msgr. Alan Placa, vice chancellor for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said Father Millar, who had worked at various locations around Long Island since 1964, was undergoing psychological and medical evaluation at a diocesan center.

"That any young person would be hurt by anyone is a heartbreak," Monsignor Placa said. "It's very disheartening for this thing to happen."

Detective Sgt. Kevin Smith blamed an administrative error for the delay in announcing the arrest.

When asked about a department statement on the arrest that neglected to mention that the suspect was a retired priest, he said, "We felt that this was newsworthy enough regardless of whether it was a priest, a policeman or anybody else."