Prosecutors Call The Archdiocese of Philadelphia A "Co-Conspirator" In Sex Abuse Case

Prosecutors in Pennsylvania have accused the Archdiocese of Philadelphia of being an "unindicted co-conspirator" in a sex abuse case in which they claim the Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia fed clergymen a steady stream of young boys to abuse and then helped hide the problem from the public. Prosecutors in the case made the accusations at a pre-trial hearing for three clergymen accused of either abusing young boys or helping cover the situation up. While this particular trial is centering on just three men, prosecutors in the case want to bring up dozens of prior cases in which clergymen were accused of abuse in order to prove that the church officials in Philadelphia had a history of ignoring or covering up a large sex abuse problem in the archdiocese. Reverand James Brennan is accused of abusing a 14-year-old boy in the mid-1990s, while Edward Avery is accused of raping a 10-year-old boy and Monsignor William Lynn is accused of conspiring with church officials to keep the abuse quiet. Brennan is still a priest, though barred from active ministry. Avery was defrocked in 2006. Lynn is a high-ranking church official who served as secretary for clergy in the archdiocese from 1992 through 2004. Lynn is facing up to 28 years in prison if convicted.

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