Church-affiliated abusers blend into new communities

Manatee, Florida -

If the allegations against Joseph Gilpin are true -- that he abused boys as a seminarian before beginning a teaching career in Florida -- it would resemble a path followed by dozens of church-affiliated abusers.

They often end up in jobs outside the church that involve interaction with children, in positions like teacher, coach, or counselor, said David Clohessy, the national director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.

Last week, a letter from the group led to the suspension and eventual resignation of Gilpin, who worked in Manatee schools for 34 years. SNAP and another advocacy group say Gilpin molested two boys in the 1960s, and another man has come forward who also says he was a victim of Gilpin's abuse.

Clohessy said it's not unusual for those accused of abuse to blend into new communities.

He reeled off several examples: An ex-priest who had abused a Kansas City man surfaced as a drug and alcohol counselor for teenagers; a priest from Missouri turned up as a greeter at a Florida theme park; a priest from Iowa rented an apartment a few blocks from two schools.

The problem of abusive priests resurfacing elsewhere won't wane anytime soon, said Jason Berry, a freelance writer and the author of two books on the scandal in the Catholic Church.

Read the article at heraldtribune.com dated January 30, 2005

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