Bishop said to delay reporting sex abuse [View All]

[brooklynite]

SAN FRANCISCO - A priest who admitted sexually abusing a 12-year-old altar boy fled to Mexico after his bishop failed to immediately report the confession to authorities, a law enforcement official said.

The Rev. Xavier Ochoa was suspended April 28 after admitting to the abuse to the Roman Catholic bishop of Santa Rosa. Bishop Daniel Walsh didn't notify law enforcement until three days later, giving Ochoa time to flee, according to church and law enforcement officials.

The Sonoma County district attorney's office on Thursday filed multiple misdemeanor and felony charges against Ochoa related to three boys he allegedly abused. Besides the altar boy, he also was charged with molesting two teenage boys more than 10 years ago when he lived in Cotati.

...snip...

Ochoa is the 17th priest from the diocese to be accused of molesting a total of 62 children. In all, the diocese has paid or promised to pay dozens of people nearly $20 million since 1990.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060623/ap_on_re_us/church_abuse_1

You'd think that after the first sixteen incidents, they'd get it into their heads that maybe notifying the authorities would be a priority.