BishopAccountability.org
	Priest Surrenders on More Charges By Lisa Donovan ldonovan@suntimes.com Chicago Sun-Times May 6, 2006 http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-priest06.html The Rev. Daniel McCormack returned Friday night to the Chicago Police station he has visited before -- again to surrender to authorities as even more sex abuse charges were filed this week against him. McCormack, accompanied by his attorney, surrendered to police at Harrison Area headquarters on two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, involving two youngsters ages 10 and 11, said John Gorman, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office . McCormack was jailed overnight and scheduled to appear in Bond Court at 26th and California today at noon. In April, Chicago Police presented prosecutors with allegations that McCormack molested three more children. Those allegations are similar to the ones in a previous case for which McCormack already faces charges, a law enforcement source had said in April. This latest case involves only two victims, Gorman said. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago was aware of allegations that more than a dozen youngsters had been abused by the priest, sources revealed in April. Allegations surfaced last summer McCormack, 37, former pastor of St. Agatha in North Lawndale, has been charged with sexually abusing three boys at the parish between September 2001 and December 2005. He has pleaded not guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse. McCormack was first charged Jan. 21 with sexual abuse for allegedly fondling two boys when they were 8 and 9 years old. In February, prosecutors charged him with sexually abusing a third boy, who was 11 at the time. The allegations against McCormack first came to the attention of authorities last summer. But charges weren't filed, and the archdiocese, which was notified of the allegations, appointed a monitor in August to ensure that McCormack didn't have contact with children. Yet, there are allegations he abused children during that time. The archdiocese has since removed McCormack from St. Agatha, and the accused priest had been staying with one of his brothers -- who is a police officer -- at a home in the suburbs. In the wake of the revelations, Cardinal Francis George has apologized for not removing McCormack when the allegations first surfaced, and several groups have called for the cardinal's resignation as archbishop of Chicago. Archdiocese spokesman Jim Dwyer said the archdiocese is cooperating with authorities. "We've asked other people to come forward -- in other media moments like this -- and this may or may not be the result of it," Dwyer said. "If this is the result of it, then so be it. In the meantime, we'll continue to cooperate with authorities."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.