A former Don Bosco Technical High School student has filed a New Jersey Catholic Church sexual abuse lawsuit against a priest who taught at the school, saying that the priest abused him more than 100 times.

The former student currently lives in Florida, and only went by his initials in his sex abuse lawsuit. He says that priest Sean Rooney began to abuse him when he was 13. Allegedly, Father Rooney taught chemistry at the school. The former student says that the abuse started with grooming and special treatment soon after his arrival to Don Bosco Technical. 

The former student’s New Jersey Catholic Church sexual abuse lawsuit then goes on to claim that Father Rooney showed him pornography and gave him alcohol. Allegedly, the priest began abusing the student “shortly after their first meeting,” and the abuse occurred over 100 times.

Patch.com says that Father Rooney is not listed in the database of 188 New Jersey clergy members who have been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of children. In another article, Patch.com explains that priests in all five of New Jersey’s dioceses have been listed as those facing credible accusations.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, explains that the accusations against those clergy members listed date back to 1940. The Cardinal explains that “in an effort to do what is right and just, we are publishing the names of diocesan clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors.”

What Has the Catholic Church Done to Address This Crisis in New Jersey?

Reportedly, the list of New Jersey Catholic Church sexual abusers was compiled after the church investigated Archdiocese records from the 1940s on. As the Catholic Church attempts to grapple with sexual assault allegations in New Jersey and beyond, several dioceses of New Jersey, including Newark, Camden, Trenton, Paterson, and Metuchen, have established a Victim Compensation and Counseling Program.

The program awards monetary compensation for claims of sexual abuse. The dioceses explain that victims with valid claims will may be eligible for compensation even if their alleged abuse took place outside of the statute of limitations, and are not eligible to be heard in a lawsuit.

The dioceses reportedly extended the deadline for compensation claims from Dec. 31 to Feb. 15, to offer compensation to a larger number of alleged victims. NorthJersey.com says that over 76 cases of alleged sexual abuse have received compensation from the fund, for a total of $9 million already paid.

However, New Jersey has extended the statute of limitations, to allow more victims of childhood sexual assault to pursue civil claims against their alleged abusers. Lawmakers, like the dioceses’ compensation funds, are aiming to provide avenues for relief for victims. 

The new law in New Jersey increases the statute of limitations to age 55, or seven years after a victim has discovered that they suffered abuse, whichever is later. The law also provides a two-year “look-back” window that allows anyone to file sexual abuse claims in the next two years, even if the statue of limitations has already passed. The law took effect on Dec. 1, 2019, says NJ.com.

This law is similar to others passed in states around the country, including in New York and California.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.