Man extorted $90,000 from priest with threats of false sexual accusations

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The real question is whether anyone in the media will pay any attention to this.

A priest who is actually innocent of sexual abuse charges? :banghead:
 
Boy, this one leads to all kinds of concerns…:confused:
  1. The priest didn’t abuse this guy, ever, yet he kept paying him. Why? Even though he was innocent, what choice did he have? If he stopped paying him and the guy accuses him, the priest is pulled from ministry (without pay or someplace to stay) until they figure out if it’s true. This can take months or years.
  2. When he does come back, he’s always under suspicion. Good luck ever becoming a pastor somewhere.
  3. There has to be a better way to treat priests (or anyone) in these kinds of situations.
 
I have heard of priests that have had their lives ruined by false accusations. It’s very sad that someone would try to profit from something that results in the ruin of another’s life. (Like Bernie Madoff) This world is full of evil people!
 
Church_Man said:
Boy, this one leads to all kinds of concerns…:confused:
  1. The priest didn’t abuse this guy, ever, yet he kept paying him. Why? Even though he was innocent, what choice did he have? If he stopped paying him and the guy accuses him, the priest is pulled from ministry (without pay or someplace to stay) until they figure out if it’s true. This can take months or years.
  2. When he does come back, he’s always under suspicion. Good luck ever becoming a pastor somewhere.
  3. There has to be a better way to treat priests (or anyone) in these kinds of situations.
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He perhaps kept paying him because he was frightened of suffering the loss of reputation. I am not judging him for that, because I am no braver either, but suffering doesn’t always come in a heroic or visable packages.
 
Humupower,it is called blackmail and none of us is in any position to question the motives or actions of any one.I take strong objection to your comment " A priest who is actually innocent of sexual abuse charges?" YES,there are tens of thousands of priests who are.Speaking of my own environment less than 1% of priests are convicted of such shameful acts. 86% of sexual abuse occurs in our homes ,parents,brothers,uncles and even grandfathers are at fault.That is say nothing of school teachers,sporting coaches,Scout & Girl Guide organisations etc who betray young children in their perverted acts. Please be more concerned about these,they do not seem top have any voice in asking for justice. Priests do their best,as I am sure you do as a well educated man,so lte us live and let live. Best wishes,God loves you.:sad_yes::tsktsk::ouch:
 
horgan said:
Humupower,it is called blackmail and none of us is in any position to question the motives or actions of any one.I take strong objection to your comment " A priest who is actually innocent of sexual abuse charges?" YES,there are tens of thousands of priests who are.Speaking of my own environment less than 1% of priests are convicted of such shameful acts. 86% of sexual abuse occurs in our homes ,parents,brothers,uncles and even grandfathers are at fault.That is say nothing of school teachers,sporting coaches,Scout & Girl Guide organisations etc who betray young children in their perverted acts. Please be more concerned about these,they do not seem top have any voice in asking for justice. Priests do their best,as I am sure you do as a well educated man,so lte us live and let live. Best wishes,God loves you.:sad_yes::tsktsk::ouch:
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I’m not sure of your point. I think you are saying that anyone could be accused or blackmailed with false accusations. That’s true. However, I think priests are in an unusual situation where almost ANY accusation against them, especially dealing with children, weather true or not, puts them at risk. The priests know this. Unfortunately, perpetrators do too.

For priests, often, the’re guilty until proven innocent. And, how do you prove you DIDN’T do something? Especially if it’s years ago? Don’t get me wrong. If a priest (or anyone) hurts children, they should be in jail. But fair is fair. Weather you are a priest or anyone else.

I just feel for this priest who felt he had no choice but to keep giving this crook $90,000. I wonder how many others are being extorted because the priests feel alone and they have no where to turn to?
 
FEAR! Fear is the reason he paid this person. The stigma of child abusing priests has become so strong because of an evil few, the majority of the non Catholic public will believe it if a priest is accused. Innocent priests have had their lives ruined because someone wanted to make a quick buck.
 
How sickening. I hope and pray that he has repented of this sin.
 
Church Man,You are correct in saying that anyone could be accused of sexual abuse.Not only priests are at risk,but school teachers,the medical profession,leaders of Youth groups,sporting coaches etc.The way the law is today is that you are guilty until you can prove your innocence. I know of innocent parents jailed for a crime they did not commit.The “victim” admitted to Police her claims were made for payback time because of some stupid arguement.The authorities refused a retrial and the father served out his sentence.Another point that I make,why is the media making such a big thing of priests being accused when in other cases the name of the perpetrator(s) are suppressed in many cases by the courts? Yes I agree anyone rightly convicted of these hideous crimes should be jailed no matter what their status in society is. Another point is that the vast majority of abused children/youth have NO ONE to speak up for them Where is their justice and opportunity for compensation? Child abuse is a dispectable crime and must be condemned in the strongest language.It has been around since the earliest times of human history and more stringent sentencing of offenders,even with the condition of never being released back into society, should be considered. Best wishes.God bless
 
Sadly enough I feel there are plenty of other priest who have also been in similiar situations.😦
 
Church_Man said:
I just feel for this priest who felt he had no choice but to keep giving this crook $90,000. I wonder how many others are being extorted because the priests feel alone and they have no where to turn to?
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When you are being extorted, the place to turn is the police. On first receiving the threat, you should report it to the authorities. Doing so will help to establish your innocence, and help to prevent pouring money down a bottomless hole.
 
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