A Niagara Falls lawyer alleges a Catholic priest cover up took place after he reported being sexually abused decades ago.

Paul B. alleges Rev. Michael Freeman of the Diocese of Buffalo sexually abused him in 1980. After Paul reported the abuse to a church youth minister, Freeman was transferred to a different parish, and was replaced by another alleged pedophile priest, Rev. Bernard M. Mach.

The youth minister that Paul turned to ended up being accused of sexually abusing children, too.

Paul says the youth minister took him to the Buffalo Diocese where he reported the abuse to a woman who worked there, but he says the diocese never responded to his report of abuse or did any type of investigation. It appears his report did not leave that office, which effectively enabled the Catholic priest cover up of sexual abuse of youth.

Catholic Priest Cover Up Prompts Lawsuit

Paul said he rejected the $45,000 offer from the diocese to settle the sexual abuse claim because he wanted to stand up for others who had been abused by either church leaders or similarly trusted people from other institutions.

According to his complaint, the pedophile priests have long been protected as they “violate their vows or promises of celibacy and otherwise misbehave by soliciting sexual contact with parishioners, in particular children like [Paul] who are entrusted to their spiritual care and guidance for the sacraments.”

Paul was 16 years old at the time of the alleged abuse, which he says “devastated” his transition into adulthood and “severely damaged the course of his life.”

The sexual abuse allegedly occurred at the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in Niagara Falls, New York. Paul and his family were parishioners at Sacred Heart during the 1980s.

Paul said that Freeman invited him to meet to discuss the possibility of Paul leading a youth group. At the meeting, Freeman told Paul that in the past, he was a chaplain at an Air Reserve Base where he learned how to diagnose a medical condition in athletes that could supposedly cause sterility.

It was under the guise of providing medical care that Freeman allegedly assaulted Paul. Paul says he tried to escape, but found the door to the room was locked. Paul says he eventually convinced Freeman to unlock the door and let him leave.

Even though Freeman was transferred to another parish about a year later, Paul says he has since learned that Freeman sexually assaulted another youth while holding a gun to the boy’s head. In that case, the victim alleges Freeman would commit sexual abuse and then absolve the boy of his sins. Paul said it infuriates him because he reported the abuse that he went through in order to prevent it from happening to other youth.

Freeman’s name appeared in the recent Pennsylvania grand jury report, which indicated he allegedly molested children in nearly all of his parishes in the Buffalo area. Freeman was transferred to Erie, Pa., where he reported to Bishop Donald W. Trautman.

That grand jury report indicates the Buffalo Diocese had Freeman’s admission to sexual abuse as far back as 1981. Freeman remained an active priest until 1989 and is now deceased.

Churches and dioceses in New York have created funds to settle with victims. The Syracuse Diocese has paid $11 million to 79 victims alone.

Paul’s Catholic Priest Cover Up Lawsuit is Case No. E168540/2019, in the State of New York Supreme Court, County of Niagara.

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