Alleged Priest Abuse Victims Speak out in Sonoma County

Sanaz Tahernia
April 17, 2019

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/alleged-priest-abuse-victims-speak-out-in-sonoma-county/1934833662

The Santa Rosa Dioceses is under fire again after two men filed reports of child sexual abuse out of a social services center in Sonoma.

They say it happened at the St. Francis Solano Roman Catholic Church.

Attorney Joseph George represents two men, David Anthony Ortega and a John Doe, in sexual abuse claims against Father John Crews of the Santa Rosa Dioceses.

In their report to the California Attorney General's Office, both men allege Father Crews sexually abused them years ago while at the Hanna Boys Center, a residential treatment center for at-risk teens -- Crews was the Executive Director there at the time.

John Crews is one of 39 priests identified in a report by the Santa Rosa Dioceses as having committed or were credibly accused of committing child sexual abuse.

In a letter to the public, one of the accusers says:

"Father Crews sexually abused me by using his authority and holding the prospect of freedom vs incarceration as a tool to scare and manipulate me into doing the things he wanted...I strongly urge anyone else who has been a victim to step forward, let your voice be heard and understand that it's not and was not ever a fault of your own."

KRON4 reached out to the Santa Rosa Dioceses for a statement, but we haven't heard back from them yet.