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After
Confession, Priest Privately Denied Abusing Teen in Wyckoff,
Friends Say
By Myles Ma Nj.com February 10, 2014
http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2014/02/after_confession_fugee_privately_denied_abusing_teen_in_wyckoff_friends_say.html
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The Rev. Michael Fugee, seen
here after his arrest in May, denied sexually abusing a
teenage boy in Wyckoff, friends said.
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WYCKOFF — Two
supporters of the Rev. Michael Fugee told
the Record he denied sexually abusing a teenage boy in Wyckoff a
day after confessing to prosecutors in a written agreement.
Michael and Amy Lenehan said they spoke to Fugee in
October, trying to convince him to void the consent order because
they believed he was innocent.
Michael Lenehan said Fugee told him he didn't molest the
teenager, and that he only signed the confession to avoid prison
time. The order forbids Fugee from renouncing his confession.
Fugee, 52, also had to petition the Vatican for his
permanent removal from the priesthood, one of dozens of
conditions under a court-approved agreement reached
with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office in October. Bergen
County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said he took over supervision
of Fugee from the archdiocese because he no longer had confidence
in Archbishop John J. Myers' ability to monitor him.
The prosecutor's office dropped seven counts of criminal
contempt of a judicial order under the terms of the consent
order. The office investigated after the Star-Ledger revealed
that Fugee had violated a 2007 ban on ministry to children.
Myers removed Monsignor John E. Doran for mishandling
the supervision of Fugee. Doran signed the 2007 agreement with
the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office agreeing to oversee Fugee.
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