- PANDEMIC - Pedos & Child Porn in the News - Equal Parenting-BC
- PANDEMIC - Pedos & Child Porn in the News - Equal Parenting-BC
- PANDEMIC - Pedos & Child Porn in the News - Equal Parenting-BC
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courtroom Tuesday. "He didn't want to be around <strong>the</strong> church and he did not want to talk about why.''<br />
Wood and her husband questioned <strong>the</strong>ir son and found out why.<br />
Troy Wood expla<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong> reason <strong>in</strong> court himself on Tuesday. He said he had been enticed up to <strong>the</strong> priest's bed,<br />
told to take off his shirt and grabbed from beh<strong>in</strong>d for an extended round of "tickl<strong>in</strong>g."<br />
Troy's story is much like <strong>the</strong> one told by two o<strong>the</strong>r former altar boys, Bob and Tom Thatcher, <strong>the</strong> pla<strong>in</strong>tiffs <strong>in</strong> this<br />
closely watched trial before Alameda County Superior Court Judge Harry Sheppard.<br />
Twelve jurors have been called to pass judgment on <strong>the</strong> Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland for its admittedly<br />
negligent supervision of a known pedophile priest. The outcome of <strong>the</strong> case could encourage <strong>the</strong> collective<br />
settlement of more than 150 similar lawsuits filed aga<strong>in</strong>st Catholic dioceses across Nor<strong>the</strong>rn California.<br />
Separate negotiations are cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g toward a possible settlement of about 75 cases aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> Archdiocese of San<br />
Francisco, which <strong>in</strong>cludes San Francisco, Mar<strong>in</strong> and San Mateo counties, and more than 40 claims fac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
Oakland diocese, which runs parishes <strong>in</strong> Alameda and Contra Costa counties.<br />
"There's progress be<strong>in</strong>g made <strong>in</strong> San Francisco and Oakland,'' said Walnut Creek attorney Mike Meadows, who<br />
represents clients on both sides of <strong>the</strong> bay.<br />
Attorneys for victims, <strong>the</strong> Oakland diocese and its various <strong>in</strong>surance companies have been called to meet Monday<br />
afternoon with Alameda County Superior Court Judge David Hunter, one of two judges oversee<strong>in</strong>g settlement<br />
negotiations.<br />
The legal morass surround<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Catholic Church was created by a 2002 law that temporarily lifted <strong>the</strong> statute of<br />
limitations on damages claims aga<strong>in</strong>st organizations that gave known child molesters access to more victims.<br />
On Monday, <strong>the</strong> Thatchers' lawyer admitted <strong>in</strong>to evidence <strong>in</strong>ternal church documents show<strong>in</strong>g that top leaders of <strong>the</strong><br />
Oakland diocese had numerous warn<strong>in</strong>gs that Ponciroli was a child molester, yet <strong>the</strong>y promoted him to be <strong>the</strong><br />
found<strong>in</strong>g pastor of <strong>the</strong> Antioch parish.<br />
Among those testify<strong>in</strong>g Tuesday at <strong>the</strong> Hayward Hall of Justice was ano<strong>the</strong>r admitted pedophile priest, <strong>the</strong> Rev.<br />
Robert Freitas, who served Catholic churches <strong>in</strong> Hayward, Newark, Fremont and San Leandro.<br />
Freitas said his church supervisor learned <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> mid-1970s that Freitas had molested m<strong>in</strong>ors. At that time, Freitas<br />
testified, he was told to confess his s<strong>in</strong>s, but given no <strong>the</strong>rapy for his problem.<br />
Freitas said he was <strong>the</strong>n assigned to a church <strong>in</strong> Fremont from 1979 to 1983, where he committed "more than one<br />
<strong>in</strong>cident" of molestation.<br />
After that, Freitas said he was sent to a six-month treatment program at a facility <strong>in</strong> Massachusetts called <strong>the</strong> House<br />
of Affirmation.<br />
Under question<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> Thatchers' lawyer, Rick Simons, Freitas said he th<strong>in</strong>ks he would not have committed <strong>the</strong><br />
Fremont molestations if he had gotten earlier treatment.<br />
Freitas, 59, said he left his last priestly assignment two years ago at St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish <strong>in</strong> San Leandro.<br />
Ponciroli, 68, has also been removed from public m<strong>in</strong>istry.<br />
Bob Thatcher, 34, now lives <strong>in</strong> Arizona. His bro<strong>the</strong>r Tom, 33, lives <strong>in</strong> Florida.<br />
Testimony was expected to cont<strong>in</strong>ue today <strong>in</strong> Hayward.<br />
29)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
Peters repeats claims aga<strong>in</strong>st Auckland bookseller<br />
New Zealand - Stuff - March 30 2005<br />
CONFIDENTIAL ---- Pandemic - Pedo & CP Report – April 17, 2005 - page 71 of 216