Calif. priest who co-wrote document on sex abuse charged with molesting boy

San Francisco, California -

A Roman Catholic priest and expert on church law who co-wrote a document on dealing with sexually abusive priests has been charged with molesting a boy more than 30 years ago.

A criminal complaint was filed May 12 against Rev. Gregory Ingels, who until recently was a priest at St. Bartholomew Church in San Mateo.

Ingels, 60, was charged with engaging in sexual conduct with a 15-year-old boy in 1972, two years before Ingels was ordained. Ingels was teaching at a Catholic high school in Marin County at the time and the boy was his student.

According to the complaint, Ingels made incriminating comments in recent conversations with the victim that were tape-recorded by police.

Ingels faces up to eight years in prison.

He was one of four experts chosen to draft a legal interpretation of the "zero tolerance" policy adopted last year by U.S. Catholic bishops toward child-molesting priests. The guide, published in March, offered recommendations on how the policy could be implemented.

Read the article at CNEWS World dated May 23, 2003

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