[WGAL] Attorney General Josh Shapiro said his office accepted pleas from two former Franciscan friars accused of allowing a member of their religious order to sexually abuse more than 100 children over a period of many years at a Catholic high school in Johnstown.
Robert D'Aversa, 70, and Anthony Criscitelli, 63, entered no contest pleas to endangering the welfare of children, according to a release from the attorney general's office. A Blair County judge sentenced the men to five years of probation. Each will also be fined $1,000 and the cost of prosecution.
"These defendants knew the abuser was a serious threat to children, but they allowed him to engage with children and have access to them as part of his job within their order," Shapiro said. "They chose time and time again to prioritize their institution's reputation over the safety of victims."
The Office of Attorney General charged D'Aversa and Criscitelli in 2016 with failing to properly supervise Brother Stephen Baker, who was accused of molesting youth while working at Bishop McCort High School in the 1990s. Baker later took his own life.
AMDG
1 comment:
I studied with a religion order in the 60s. The religious brother who organized and kept everything moving on time for the entire province embezzled lots of money. He gave it to his boyfriend who was selling insurance to the order. The brother only received a slap on the hand while the miscreant went to jail. My father sold insurance while raising five sons. His bids were always rejected.
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