into sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans going back decades, a rare federal foray into such cases looking specifically at whether priests took children across state lines to molest them, officials and others familiar with the inquiry told The Associated Press.
The FBI declined to comment, as did the Louisiana State Police, which is assisting in the inquiry. The Archdiocese of New Orleans declined to discuss the federal investigation.The probe could deepen the legal peril for the archdiocese as it reels from a bankruptcy brought on by a flood of sex abuse lawsuits and allegations that church leaders turned a blind eye to generations of predator priests.
“The issue has always been determining what is the federal crime,” said Peter G. Strasser, the former U.S. attorney in New Orleans who declined to bring charges in 2018 after the archdiocese published a list of 57 “credibly accused” clergy, a roster an AP analysis found had been undercounted by at least 20 names.
Among the priests under federal scrutiny in New Orleans is Lawrence Hecker, a 90-year-old removed from the ministry in 2002 following accusations he abused “countless children.” Hecker is accused of abusing children decades ago on out-of-state trips, and other claims against him range from fondling to rape.
More recent allegations are also drawing federal attention, including the case of Patrick Wattigny, a priest charged last year by state prosecutors after he admitted molesting a teenager in 2013. His attorney declined to comment.
Well yes this is a good thing, we have more important fish to fry first!
Wait, I was told by FoxNews that only Gays and Trans people were likely to be pedophiles!
Pasqualiba Yep, religion so not man-made! Befrocked sinister virgins pretending to be god's shepherds...there is no evil that cannot be excused in one's chosen god's name. Greatest bs story ever told that an all seeing, all knowing deity is monitoring you 24/7. Celestial dictator then?
Banging the altar boys behind the altar again? These are the very ones who give communion to us?
I'm Catholic, but I don't trust priests. Priests get away with crimes all the time.
Great now investigate Biden for sniffing kid's
Maybe priests should be denied communion.
Abuses are all around the world. Depends on where is your attention directed. Nothing new happened from the world creation...Education and self growing counts more than everything to avoid such things..
Now do epstein island.
The same Catholic Church that influenced the Supreme Court justices to remove reproductive freedoms from women?
Be nice it they did an investigation internally in the DC pervert castle
Just after Pelosi was denied communion.
RepBoebert , this is your church! You want these pedo’s running the USA along with elected members because you’re tired of the separation of church and state? WaterDean, do I have this right?
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