Tag Archives: molestation

Cornerstone University radio host John Balyo was arrested last month after federal investigators connected him to the rape of an 11 year-old boy. Today Balyo confessed to a second rape. Via the Detroit Free Press: Former WCSG radio host John Richard Balyo admitted today that he and a second man handcuffed a 12-year-old boy to a motel bed, sexually abused …

Eight years ago Pastor Duane Youngblood wrote a book titled Freedom From Homosexuality: No Longer Living The Lie. Yesterday he was arrested for molesting a teenage boy dozens of times. The boy, now 21, told police Youngblood sexually abused him over a period of two-and-a-half years while Youngblood was supposed to be counseling him at the church. The assaults allegedly …

Today Pope Francis met with six victims of pedophile priests in his first such meeting since becoming pontiff in March of last year. Catholic bishops “will be held accountable” for failing to protect children from sexual abuse, Pope Francis said Monday, his strongest acknowledgment yet of what abuse victims have been saying for decades: that the cover-ups have often been …

Federal investigators have arrested a radio host for the private Christian college, Cornerstone University, on charges of child molestation. Charges related to the production of child pornography are expected to be added. John Balyo, 35, of Caledonia was arrested in Gaylord as part of a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Battle Creek Police Department and Michigan …

St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson has testified that he’s not sure that he has always known that child molestation is a crime. Carlson was deposed regarding abuses that took place while he was a bishop in Minnesota. During the deposition taken last month, attorney Jeff Anderson asked Carlson whether he knew it was a crime for an adult to engage …

Via Raw Story: Lawyers claim the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey, should not be held liable for sexual abuse allegedly committed by a priest because he wasn’t officially “on duty” when he molested a teenage boy. Chris Naples claimed Rev. Terence McAlinden, who once headed the diocese’s youth group, sexually abused him during church-sponsored trips to Delaware in the 1980s. …

A man convicted of firebombing abortion clinics in the 1980s has been charged with molesting an eleven year-old girl. At least eight people identified Curtis Anton Beseda as the man seen in video surveillance released to the media on Tuesday. Prosecutors on Friday charged Beseda, 58, with first-degree child molestation in connection with the groping.A judge issued a $250,000 arrest …

Montana’s Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena yesterday filed for bankruptcy protection as it settles molestation lawsuits filed on behalf of hundreds of children. “The settlement here will be as much help financially as we can offer to claimants,” the spokesman, Dan Bartleson, told NBCNews.com. “And the bankruptcy puts us in a place at the diocese where we can care for …

According to Catholic Church documents obtained yesterday, near the end of his reign Pope Benedict defrocked almost 400 priests over two years for sexually molesting children. The statistics for 2011 and 2012 show a dramatic increase over the 171 priests removed in 2008 and 2009, when the Vatican first provided details on the number of priests who have been defrocked. …

“In particular I wish to express my compassion and to ensure my closeness in prayer to every victim of sexual abuse, and to their families; I ask you to continue to support them along the painful path of healing, that they have undertaken with courage.” – Pope Francis, speaking today at a conference of Catholic bishops in the Netherlands.  The …

“The board of directors at Time Warner cannot distance themselves from Bill Maher any longer. On Friday night, Maher teed up Dan Savage, another anti-Catholic bigot. What happened was particularly vicious. Maher commented on gay couples who adopt children, alleging that a Hawaiian bishop said these kids had a greater chance of committing suicide. Here is how Savage responded: ‘That’s …

Three Texas lesbians were freed yesterday after 15 years of imprisonment on child molestation charges that have now been debunked. Cheers erupted in a San Antonio court when a lawyer for the women told a packed gallery that a deal had been reached to allow the release of Kristie Mayhugh, Elizabeth Ramirez and Cassandra Rivera. A fourth woman convicted is …

Yet another lawsuit has been filed against the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis. Via MPR News: The lawsuit filed Thursday morning by St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson on behalf of a man in his 50s alleges Kern abused him starting when he was 12 years old while Kern was working at Our Lady of Grace in Edina during the …

The United States Conference On Catholic Bishops has issued a press release and sent a letter to members of the Senate in which they declare that it should remain legal to fire LGBT people. Peter Montgomery of People From The American Way has a excerpt: While the Church is opposed to unjust discrimination on any grounds, including those related to …

A Pennsylvania priest whose duties included counseling troubled youths has been arrested after being caught with a 15 year-old boy that he picked up on Craigslist. The boy was not wearing pants at the time of the arrest. The Rev. William Paulish was in Lackawanna County prison, unable to post $50,000 bail Friday. The charges include corruption of a minor, …

CNN host Chris Cuomo really got into it with Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue today, calling Donohue out on his history of defending the Catholic Church’s pedophilia scandals. Cuomo: “The pope is giving you a different message. He’s saying: ‘Don’t make these statements about the homosexuals. Don’t make these statements about the Jews. Get back to the what your church …

Dan Savage often comments on stories like this with the headline I used today.

The Vatican has abruptly recalled Archbishop Josef Wesolowski, its official envoy to the Dominican Republic, in the midst of child molestation rumors about Wesolowski and another priest. The Associated Press reports: Wesolowski’s sudden departure from the Dominican Republic in recent days has been the cause of feverish speculation in local media. Dominican television network NCDN, citing a statement from the …

Back in February, Cardinal Keith O’Brien resigned two days after four priests accused him of “inappropriate contact” with them while they were seminary students in the 1980s. O’Brien later issued a murky confession about behavior “below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.” Today we learn that O’Brien halted an inquiry into sexual abuses by other …

“It was the Democrats who made the difference between last week and this week. Last week, they were indecisive; this week they decided to cast their vote in favor of a bill that discriminates against the Catholic Church. We need a lawmaker who will introduce a bill that discriminates against the public sector. The bill should suspend the statute of …