Just three years ago, church officials withheld info from police about a second victim

He’s believed to be in Ohio and pedophile priest, who still walks free, also worked in Ohio

Crimes took place in 2002 but child molesting cleric stayed in parish work til suit was filed in 2005

DVDs will be provided with victim testifying, predator taking the Fifth, & church authorities lying

Washington Archdiocese and large religious order kept secrets about and moved sex offender

Even now, Catholic religious orders are "especially secretive and reckless," self help group says

WHAT
At sidewalk news conferences in Columbus and three other cities, a new $1.2 million settlement in a recent Catholic priest sex abuse and cover up lawsuit will be disclosed and discussed.

The child sex crimes happened until 2002, the predator was moved to another state, and during a police probe of the case, church officials failed to notify law enforcement about reports of a second victim.

Later, the church hierarchy sought a court order to prevent them from having to disclose the name of an Ohio Catholic teacher who was in touch with the second victim. A judge refused to grant their request.

WHEN
TODAY, Thursday, Aug. 23, 1:30 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the headquarters of the Columbus Diocese, 198 E. Broad Street, Columbus (614-224-2251)

WHO
Two clergy sex abuse victims including a Missouri woman who heads a nationwide a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
Last week, Brandon Rains settled the civil child molestation lawsuit he filed in 2005 against the Washington Archdiocese, a religious order, and Fr. Aaron Joseph Cote, who abused Rains when he was a teenager. The crimes took place at/near two DC-area parishes (including this one) just five years ago (2001-02). Despite two separate, credible child sex abuse allegations, church officials let Cote keep working in parish ministry, up until that suit was filed. Equally disturbing, they fought to keep secret the identity of a Catholic teacher who was in touch with another young victim of Cote’s.

Cote worked in and allegedly molested a boy in Somerset Ohio. A Catholic teacher there reported his abuse to church officials. But church officials never provided this report to DC law enforcement, even though police there were actively investigating Rains’ allegations. (Church officials also refused to turn over, to Rains’ attorneys, the name of that key witness. Ultimately, under court order, that teacher’s identity was finally disclosed.)

Thirty pages of previously-secret documents about Cote, filed in a DC court, will be provided. They show that Catholic authorities were worried and warned about Cote’s excessive drinking and his disturbing interest in children even during his seminary days. They considered not ordaining him.

After Rains reported his abuse, Cote was transferred to St. Pius V church in Providence, Rhode Island. Previously, he’d also worked in Peru, where records show he repeatedly and inappropriately let kids be and stay in priests’ living quarters.

The case is clear proof, SNAP says, of how church officials in general (and religious orders in particular) ignore the US bishops weak and vague but highly-touted child sex abuse policies adopted five years ago

Cote, now 56, belongs to the Dominican religious order and also worked in the DC suburbs of Bethesda
and Germantown (where some of Rains’ abuse took place).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/16/AR2005111602414.html

Similar news conferences are being held today in a city where Cote worked (Providence RI), where Cote abused (Washington DC) and where Cote now lives (New York City).

CONTACT
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP outreach director 314 503 0003 cell
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP national director 314 566 9790 cell
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP president 312 399 4747 cell
St. Paul attorneys Jeff Anderson 612 817 8665 & Mike Finnegan 612 205 5531