78% of the alleged victims were age 11 to 17

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Feb 18, 2004

Two mentally disabled men who live and work at a Jesuit retreat were sexually abused by members of the clergy for at least five years, according to court records and interviews.

"What I'm afraid of is we're going into this witch hunt for gays,'' said the Rev. Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist and sex abuse consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

A Web site founded by a priest that featured images of young wrestlers in bikini briefs was voluntarily shut down after questions were raised about its content and purpose. The site displayed teen-agers and young men with nicknames such as "Johnny Heartbreaker'' and "Bad Brad'' in wrestling poses.

"What I'm afraid of is we're going into this witch hunt for gays,'' said the Rev. Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist and sex abuse consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Accused of sexually assaulting a man 20 years ago, Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland acknowledged making a monetary settlement of $450,000 with the man but said, "I have never abused anyone."

"What I'm afraid of is we're going into this witch hunt for gays,'' said the Rev. Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist and sex abuse consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

This is what he recalls about the pastor: "I was asked to come up from the office to his room. When I came through the door, I saw him dressed only in an enormous, thick, white cotton diaper. I remember thinking, 'This is bizarre.' With his big belly, he looked like Baby Huey. I remember he said something like: 'Diapers are very comfortable. More people should try them.'"

"What I'm afraid of is we're going into this witch hunt for gays,'' said the Rev. Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist and sex abuse consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"My mother is in her eighties now. She was at my ordination in her new hat; now she had to hand her pocketbook to a dumb bastard of a guard so he could go through it. It hurt to see that. ... The boy I was accused of abusing was practically a grown man, for God's sake. Oh, I could tell you some stories."

"What I'm afraid of is we're going into this witch hunt for gays,'' said the Rev. Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist and sex abuse consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.