Tag Archives: sexual abuse

Liberty U Faces $37M Fine For Alleged Rapes Coverup

The Christian Post reports: Liberty University President Dondi E. Costin [photo] says the private Evangelical institution has been threatened with an “unprecedented” $37.5 million fine by the U.S. Department of Education for alleged Clery Act violations following the publication of a leaked report accusing a former president of rape and other school officials of destroying evidence. The Clery Act is …

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MD Priest Fired Over Secret Sexual Abuse Settlement

The Baltimore Banner reports: The Archdiocese of Baltimore has dismissed the Rev. Paschal Morlino, the celebrated “urban monk” of Southwest Baltimore who led St. Benedict Church for decades, following the recent disclosure that he paid $200,000 to quietly settle allegations of fraud and sexual assault. Morlino’s abrupt removal as pastor of St. Benedict’s was announced Saturday to parishioners, and it …

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Glenn Beck Turns On Man Behind Hit QAnon Film After Looking Into Sex Misconduct Allegations: I Was Duped

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Prominent conservative commentator Glenn Beck, one of Tim Ballard’s highest-profile and long-standing supporters, now believes he was “duped” by the former Operation Underground Railroad CEO, saying the allegations he has reviewed amount to “really bad stuff.” Beck and Ballard have a long-running friendship, with Beck promoting Ballard’s work since the earliest days of OUR, the …

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NOLA Archdiocese Will Sell Properties To Settle Suits

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: More than three years after filing for bankruptcy protection amid mounting claims of child sex abuse by local clergy, the Archdiocese of New Orleans is preparing to sell off seven properties — including the shuttered Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, the St. Jude Community Center and the Catholic Bookstore Uptown — as a way to …

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Evangelical Leader Accused Of Sexual Abuse [VIDEO]

The Roys Report reports: Soul Survivor Watford has formally suspended Mike Pilavachi, founder of a large Christian youth festival in the U.K., who’s facing allegations he spiritually and sexually abused young men under him. The suspension comes amid revelations that ministry leaders in the U.K. knew about allegations concerning Pilavachi for nearly two decades but did nothing. On Saturday, Soul …

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Jesuits Back Abuse Claims Against “Three-Way Priest”

Reuters reports: The Roman Catholic religious order of Jesuits said on Tuesday that accusations of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse against a prominent member of the order were highly credible and that restrictions on him had been tightened. The order said on its website that it would start an “internal procedure” against the priest, Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, 69, a …

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NY “Sadistic Sex Cult” Leader Sentenced To 60 Years

The Guardian reports: A financial fraudster who lured students at an elite New York liberal arts college into a cult-like world of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse was sentenced on Friday to 60 years in federal prison. Larry Ray, born Lawrence Grecco, was found guilty in April of sex trafficking and racketeering, among other related charges, stemming from the psychological …

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DOJ Investigates Southern Baptists Over Sex Abuses

The Washington Post reports: The Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest faith group in the country, said Friday that the Justice Department is investigating multiple arms of the denomination following an internal report that showed mishandling of sexual abuse cases. The investigation is related to a recent bombshell third-party report commissioned by the SBC, a spokesman said late Friday. The report …

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Students Reveal Abuses At Missouri Christian Camp

The Daily Beast reports: “At Agapé, we lovingly, patiently, and biblically teach your child the importance of submission to authority and the joys of being an obedient law-abiding citizen,” a soft-spoken voiceover actor says while images of smiling teenagers flash across the screen. “Mom and Dad, we want to support you in your effort to rescue your son from himself.” …

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Southern Baptists Release List Of Hundreds Of Abusers

The Associated Press reports: In response to an explosive investigation, top Southern Baptists have released a previously secret list of hundreds of pastors and other church-affiliated personnel accused of sexual abuse. The 205-page database was made public late Thursday. It includes more than 700 entries from cases that largely span from 2000 to 2019. Its existence became widely known Sunday …

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NM Archdiocese To Pay $121M In Abuse Settlement

ABC News reports: One of the oldest Catholic dioceses in the United States announced a settlement agreement Tuesday to resolve a bankruptcy case in New Mexico that resulted from a clergy sex abuse scandal. The tentative deal totals $121.5 million and would involve about 375 claimants. “The church takes very seriously its responsibility to see the survivors of sexual abuse …

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Pastor Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Teen Girl, Said God Gave Him A “Vision” That They Were “Betrothed”

Elmira, New York’s NBC News affiliate reports: Robert Fenton, 52, is being charged with sexually abusing and assaulting a 14-year-old girl from 1996 to 1998 in Bradford County, when he was 26 years old. According to the announcement from the AG’s office, Fenton allegedly claimed that “God wanted the victim to be his spouse” because of a vision he had. …

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Pope Unveils Reforms On Handling Clerical Sex Abuse

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis released his long-awaited reform program of the Holy See bureaucracy on Saturday that envisages greater decision-making roles for the laity and gives new institutional weight to efforts to fight clerical sex abuse. The document was released Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Francis’ installation as pope and the feast of St. Joseph, an important figure …

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Catholic Bishop Imprisoned In Sexual Abuse Scandal

Reuters reports: A Catholic bishop accused of sexually abusing young men studying to be priests was found guilty by a court in northern Argentina on Friday, capping over a week of often graphic testimony. Gustavo Zanchetta, the former bishop of Oran in Argentina’s northern province of Salta, was convicted of sexually abusing two former seminarians, which prosecutors said in a …

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VA Pastor Hit With 30 Counts Of Child Sexual Abuse

CBS News reports: A news release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office detailed that Terry Frank Compton, 62, of Glade Spring, faces 30 felony counts — all that involve children. Compton was arrested after “multiple victims” came forward, according to the sheriff’s office. His arrest on Feb. 10 followed a months-long investigation and his charges include 12 counts of taking …

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German Catholic Church Holds “Penance Service” Over Sexual Abuse Scandal: “This Is A Confession Of Guilt”

Religion News Service reports: Germany’s Roman Catholic archdiocese of Cologne held a service of penance Thursday for cases of sexual abuse by clergy, saying the ritual was not an absolution for the perpetrators but a “confession of guilt.” The German Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse reports has caused a crisis in Cologne, where the archbishop, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki …

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French Catholic Church To Compensate Abuse Victims

The Associated Press reports: France’s Catholic Church announced on Monday that it would financially compensate sex abuse victims by selling property assets or taking out a loan if needed. French bishops said in a written statement they will set up an “independent, national body” tasked with addressing compensation issues. They committed to allocating money to a specific fund “in order …

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Southern Baptist Head Quits In Sex Abuse Inquiry Fight

The Tennessean reports: Ronnie Floyd, the highest-ranking official of the Southern Baptist Convention executive committee announced his resignation Thursday evening, following weeks of contentious committee meetings about a sexual abuse inquiry. “Due to my personal integrity and the leadership responsibility entrusted to me, I will not and cannot any longer fulfill the duties placed upon me as the leader of …

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Southern Baptists Approve Sexual Abuse Task Force

The Christian Post reports: Two days after the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee rejected a motion to create a task force to oversee a third-party investigation of allegations SBC leaders mishandled a “crisis of sexual abuse” in the denomination, messengers overwhelmingly approved a motion to do just that on Wednesday. Attorney and abuse advocate Rachael Denhollander, who has spoken freely …

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Southern Baptist Lawyer Calls Effort To Address Abuse Scandal “Satanic Scheme To Distract From Evangelism”

The Roys Report reports: The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is already reeling from recent allegations that key leaders mistreated sex abuse survivors and tried to intimidate advocates. Now comes another leaked document, showing that a former high-profile SBC executive called the movement to address sex abuse in the SBC “a satanic scheme to completely distract us from evangelism.” The document …

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