Pastor Deemed Guilty of Abuse by Jury Gets a New Post, SNAP Responds

SNAP
July 11, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ca_pastor_deemed_guilty_of_abuse_by_jury_gets_a_new_post_snap_responds

A California priest, found guilty of child sexual abuse by a jury, is being promoted. We are deeply concerned about this move and urge Catholic officials to reconsider.

[visaliatimesdelta.com]

Fr. Eric Swearingen is the new pastor of a Catholic church in Visalia. He will oversee four parishes and a school. This is a dreadfully irresponsible decision.

No one knows more about the child sex abuse charges against Fr. Swearingen than the 12 impartial jurors who listened to days of evidence and testimony. By a 9-3 margin, they voted that it was "more than likely" that he molested a boy. So parents can choose to believe a charming accused child molester or his boss. Or they can choose to believe unbiased citizens who looked closely at all the facts.

You can choose to be prudent and keep your kids away from Fr. Swearingen. Or you can choose to be reckless.

Because Fr. Swearingen is charismatic and eloquent, we worry that parents will not be vigilant about protecting their children around him. We beg parents to exercise caution.

We urge Fresno Catholic officials to reverse this dangerous decision and tell parishioners about the allegations against Swearingen and the jury's decision. We also urge parishioners to be compassionate and support victims instead of predators.

We hope anyone who was hurt by Fr. Swearingen or any other Catholic official will find the courage to come forward, call police and start healing.