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Category: News

September 9, 2020

Victims of Father John J. Gallagher’s sexual abuse awarded multimillion dollar settlement decades later

11 victims of sexual abuse by clergy members have been awarded a $1.4 Million settlement. The victims claim Father John J. Gallagher, a former Lawrence priest abused them in the 1970s, according to the suit. The settlement in the case was awarded to one man and 10 women, all of whom are now in their 50s, claimed that Father John J. Gallagher sexually abused them when they were students at St. Mary’s School in Lawrence. Gallagher, who died15 years ago, had already been accused of abusing three women when they were young girls at the Lawrence parish. That lawsuit […]

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September 3, 2020

John C. Sapp Jr., Church Youth Leader, indicted on multiple counts of child sex abuse

John C. Sapp Jr., the 34-year-old lead pastor at Maranatha Fellowship church, has been indicted on 89 charges after he allegedly had sexual relationships with two teenage girls who were members of a church youth group. Sapp Jr. had been leading the youth group for the past three years. most of the sexual encounters took place in the church and church youth group outings. According to court documents, Sapp was at his house with his wife when he confessed to “inappropriately touching” a girl. Maranatha Fellowship did not immediately respond to questions about the case. Delaware State Police investigators […]

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September 2, 2020

Woman suing Archdiocese of Vancouver claiming decades of cover up of children sexually abused by clergy

A woman is suing the Archdiocese of Vancouver, claiming she was sexually assaulted years ago by Father Michael Conaghan as a child at St. Francis of Assisi School, a Catholic elementary school in Vancouver. The Archdiocese is accused of covering up systemic abuse by priests, bishops and other members of its clergy, dating back decades. In some instances, there was alleged forcing of victims to be silent . The allegations in the law suit claim that the Archdiocese of Vancouver knew for years about accusations against clergy of systemic psychological, sexual, and physical abuse, but actively buried complaints. According […]

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August 28, 2020

Father Andrew Kawecki and Father Emil Payer added to list of priests who are credibly accused sex abuse offenders

Two more Diocese of Greensburg priests have been charged with child sex abuse dating back decades. One of the priests, Father Andrew Kawecki, now 65, who since 1980, has served in 15 Greensburg Diocese parishes, is charged with sex abuse against a minor over the course of several years in Fairchance, Fayette County. The abuse allegedly took place inside the sacristy of St. Cyril and Methodius Parish and in the church’s rectory. Kawecki is charged with indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and corruption of minors against the minor, then 11 year old, when he was an altar boy. […]

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August 27, 2020

Henry Kolakoski, former teacher at Columbia High School, accused of sexually abusing students in the 1980’s

Henry Kolakoski, a former teacher at Columbia High School until 2007, is accused of sexually abusing a student when he was the victim’s social studies teacher in the 1980’s. In the lawsuit against East Greenbush Central School District, officials are accused of allegedly knowing about the abuse and still allowed a sexual predator to teach at the school. The former student, Robert Reese, accuses Kolakoski of abusing him in school, at school events and at the teacher’s home in 1979 and 1980. Kolakoski surrendered his teaching license in 2007 amid an investigation by the State Education Department into his alleged […]

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August 25, 2020

William Dederick, Former Kingston High School Principal accused of sexually abusing student in the 1980’s

William Dederick, a retired biology teacher and later, an administrator at Kingston High School has been accused of sexually abusing a student on and off school property in the early 1980s. According to the lawsuit, the Kingston school district allegedly knew about the sexual abuse of the victim and possibly other victims. Dederick, and the school district are both named as defendants in the lawsuit. Dederick, now 78, who was an employee at the school for more than 33 years, still maintains his innocence and has been advised not to speak about the case. At the time the alleged […]

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August 19, 2020

Non Profit Health Organization that helps intellectually disabled children accused of sex abuse spanning decades

A Philadelphia facilities that helps children with intellectual disabilities, operated by a nonprofit health organization, has been accused of allowing at least 40 children with intellectual disabilities to be sexually abused over a period of 25 years. The Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health facilities allegedly knew about the abuse and did not make any changes to remedy the issue. Devereux, which is headquartered near Philadelphia, treats children with intellectual disabilities, mental disorders and trauma. It has become the nation’s leading nonprofit health organization of its kind. Philadelphia City Council members have demanded that 62 local children be removed from the […]

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August 17, 2020

Reporting of Child sex abuse is now demanded by Jehova Witness organization

Reporting of child sex abuse has been mandated by two former Jehovah’s Witness elders after reports have been made that the organization is under the belief that it is only “answerable only to God”. One of the elders, Duncan Corbett, has said that the protection of children and the handling of sexual abuse of minors should be removed from the church’s responsibility. “Let them deal with the sin and the authorities handle the crime,” he told a hearing in London. Another former elder, Lloyd Evans, said: “This is a group that feels they are answerable only to God … They […]

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August 14, 2020

Former YMCA Youth Volunteer accused of sexually abusing teenage boy in the 1980’s

A convicted sex offender is now accused of sexually abusing at least dozen children in the 1980s when he worked as a youth volunteer in Binghamton YMCA. A complaint was filed last week accusing Michael Gregg of sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in 1986 that took place over a year when the boy was in the YMCA youth program. Gregg, now 61, allegedly groomed and befriended the teenage boy and invited him to his home to eat pizza and play video games in Binghamton where he abused him. The teenage boy had mental disabilities and participated in youth activities […]

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August 13, 2020

Alabama Department of Human Resources named in lawsuit where couple allegedly sexually abused foster care children

Jenise and Daniel Spurgeon, a foster care couple from Cape Coral, have been named in at least 3 lawsuits accusing them of sexual abuse, rape, torture and human trafficking of children that were under their foster care. The couple have been accused of sexually abusing at least 15 children. Each of the victims were female and are seeking $25 Million in damages. The suits claim that the couple would torture, abuse, rape and human traffic the children. The victims were placed in the home under the foster care system and some were even adopted by the couple, Daniel Spurgeon was […]

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