Isn't this special.
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Bishop said to delay reporting sex abuse
By KIM CURTIS, Associated Press WriterFri Jun 23, 11:46 AM ET
A priest who admitted sexually abusing a 12-year-old altar boy fled to
Mexico after his bishop failed to immediately report the confession to
authorities, a law enforcement official said.
The Rev. Xavier Ochoa was suspended April 28 after admitting to the
abuse to the Roman Catholic bishop of Santa Rosa. Bishop Daniel Walsh
didn't notify law enforcement until three days later, giving Ochoa time
to flee, according to church and law enforcement officials.
The Sonoma County district attorney's office on Thursday filed multiple
misdemeanor and felony charges against Ochoa related to three boys he
allegedly abused. Besides the altar boy, he also was charged with
molesting two teenage boys more than 10 years ago when he lived in
Cotati.
A spokeswoman for the diocese did not return calls seeking comment.
According to law enforcement and church officials, Ochoa confessed on
April 27 to a fellow priest. Ochoa reported it the following day to the
bishop, who immediately suspended Ochoa and barred him from performing
his priestly duties.
Dan Galvin, the diocese's lawyer, said in court documents that Walsh
spoke to him the following day. Believing the Child Protective Services
office would be closed on a Saturday, Galvin faxed a letter to the
office on Monday, May 1, and notified the sheriff's department the next
day, he said.
Carol Bauer, director of the county's Family, Youth and Children's
Services, said a telephone report should have been made within 24 hours
to Child Protective Services, which maintains a 24-hour hot line.
Deputies interviewed the altar boy, but Ochoa was likely on his way to
Mexico or already there, court records said.
The boy told sheriff's deputies he often went to Ochoa's apartment
across the street from St. Francis Solano Church to do chores, according
to court documents. Ochoa allegedly offered the boy $100 for a strip
tease.
"While the victim was dancing and taking off his clothes, Ochoa sat on
the edge of his bed laughing and throwing marshmallows at the victim;
and the victim was trying to catch the marshmallows with his mouth,"
according to court documents.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a national support
group, sent Walsh an angry letter and accused church officials of
dragging their feet.
"When any citizen suspects a crime, he or she should call the police.
That's common sense, and in this case, that's the law," said David
Clohessy, SNAP's director.
It was unlikely church officials would face criminal charges for the
tardy reporting, said O'Leary, the sheriff's spokesman.
"You don't want to discourage people from reporting abuse," O'Leary said.
Ochoa is the 17th priest from the diocese to be accused of molesting a
total of 62 children. In all, the diocese has paid or promised to pay
dozens of people nearly $20 million since 1990.
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http://tinyurl.com/oz3gk
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John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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