New child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit filed

Predator priest has never been publicly exposed before

Two men were molested as boys in DC, Maryland and Delaware

Their legal action is possible now because of unusual civil 'window' law

Group also exposes a second local, credibly accused child molesting cleric

Church officials have paid settlements to three victims but have kept silent about it

WHAT
At a sidewalk conference, clergy sex abuse victims will disclose and discuss a new child molestation and cover up lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Washington that:
-- describes the sexual abuse of two boys that occurred in two states and the District of Columbia,
-- involves a priest who’s never been sued or ‘exposed’ before, and
-- alleges that local church authorities knew of the priest’s tendencies as a child molester

They will also provide copies of a never-released civil settlement and a police report involving four victims of another former local predator priest who has not been 'outed' before.

WHEN
Wednesday, June 10th, 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the Archdiocese of Washington headquarters, 5001 Eastern Avenue, in Hyattsville, Maryland

WHO
Three clergy sex abuse victims, including two local directors of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) and a national leader from Voice of the Faithful (VOTF.org)

WHY
A new civil lawsuit charges that Father Joseph Dooley molested two brothers whose families belonged to Our Lady of Lourdes church in Bethesda, Maryland. One of the boys was abused multiple times around the age of 12 to 14, while his brother was violated from age 9 to 17, according to the suit. Many of the alleged crimes took place from the late 1950s to the early 1960s in Washington, DC, Maryland (at the boys’ home) and Delaware (at hotels and at a trailer in Rehoboth Beach). The lawsuit also charges that the Archdiocese “knew or should have known about Dooley’s prior and continuing wrongful conduct at Our Lady of Lourdes and elsewhere.”

SNAP will also make public today a three page settlement document (signed by Catholic officials) and two police reports involving two victims of another predator priest, Fr. James Powderly. He reportedly molested two kids in the 1970s. The settlements, reached in February of this year, were never publicly announced or acknowledged by the Catholic hierarchy. SNAP believes that secrecy violates the US Catholic bishops' national abuse policy, which mandates 'openness and transparency' in child sex cases.

Based on conversations with victims, SNAP believes Powderly co-owned the Delaware trailer with Dooley.

The new suit is being filed in New Castle Superior Court in Delaware and seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial.

Neither cleric has been publicly accused of child molestation before. Both have died in recent years.

Dooley worked in Chillum, Seat Pleasant, and Hyattsville, and Powderly worked in Silver Spring and Rockville (all in Maryland). Both men also worked in Washington, DC.

Attorneys J. Michael Reck (949) 252-9990 CA/ (212) 307-3298 NY and Bart Dalton (302) 652-2050 are representing the victims.

CONTACT
Becky Ianni of Burke, VA, Washington, DC/Virginia SNAP Director 703 801 6044 (cell), David Lorenz, Maryland SNAP Director 301 906 9161 (cell), David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director 314 566 9790 cell