Clergy sex abuse victim speaks out for first time ever

He just settled pedophile priest & cover up case for $600,000

Predator molested him in NYC, New Jersey, Missouri & elsewhere

Now, he's disclosing his identity and other victims are stepping forward

Wounded doctor vows "to do all I can to get convicted predator locked up"

Even now, Catholic officials keep paying child molesting cleric, while refusing to say where he is

WHAT
At a sidewalk news conference, a doctor who was molested by a convicted New Jersey pedophile priest will
-- discuss his abuse and his recent $600,000 settlement for the first time publicly, and
-- reveal his own subsequent abuse-related traumas, including his drug use that led to his medical license being suspended.

He'll also
-- disclose that several more victims of the same predator have come forward, and
-- urge others who saw, suspected or suffered the cleric's crimes to call police, so kids can be protected.

Other victims & advocates will harshly criticize Catholic officials for
--- letting the priest legally change his name,
--- sending him to an unsuspecting parish in Missouri, where he molested again,
--- keeping silent for almost two years about his allegation, and
--- failing to disclose the recent settlement and reach out to others hurt by the priest.

WHEN
Monday, Aug. 24

WHERE At 1:15 p.m.
In Jersey City, outside St. Aloysius parish , 691 West Side Ave. (where the predator once worked and molested at least one boy)

WHO
A Virginia doctor who was repeatedly molested and given illegal drugs by a priest, along with other victims and victims' relatives. All belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org).

WHY
Ten days ago, SNAP disclosed a new $600,000 settlement between a clergy sex abuse victim and three Catholic institutions. Today, that victim, Dr. Mark McAllister, speaks publicly for the first time about the crimes and the devastating impact these horrific crimes have had on his life and the refusal - then and now - of church officials to protect kids from the convicted predator, Fr. Carmine C. Sita.

After pleading guilty in 1982 to molesting a Jersey City boy, Newark's archbishop let Sita legally change his name to Fr. Gerald "Gerry" Howard and sent him, without warning parishioners or the public, to a Boonville Missouri church. For five years, starting in 1983, Howard repeatedly gave drugs and liquor to the then-teenaged McAllister, and severely sexually assaulted him. (McAllister's devout family belonged to the parish.) The crimes took place several places, including church property, and on trips to Manhattan, New Jersey and elsewhere.

Almost two years ago, McAllister reported the abuse to church officials, who quickly found him credible but chose to keep his allegations secret. In late June 2009, McAllister agreed to the settlement from three defendants - the Newark archdiocese (where Howard is from), the Jefferson City diocese (where Howard was sent), and a St. Louis-based Catholic group called the Paracletes (which allegedly 'treated' Howard between diocesan assignments). Until SNAP's announcement, church staff kept silent about Howard's crimes and McAllister's settlement.

Howard remains a priest on the Newark diocesan payroll, though he's allegedly not working in a parish. Church staff refuse to disclose his whereabouts. As part of the settlement, McAllister insisted that Newark's archbishop begin defrocking Howard.

For six years (1976-1982), Howard worked at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Jersey City (201-433-6365), where he abused a young parishioner. For a while, Howard attended Rutgers University. In the 1980s, after being ousted from his Boonville parish, Howard moved to Columbia MO where it is believed that he took counseling courses at the University of Missouri. He was born in 1945, is now in his 60s, and was ordained in 1976.

McAllister is in his 30s, married and lives in Roanoke VA now. He is represented by two Missouri attorneys Ken Chackes of St. Louis (314 872 8420, 314 369 3902 cell) and Bryan Bacon of Columbia (573 874 7777, 314 566 8386 cell). Attorneys representing the defendants include Jeffrey Jones (for the Paracletes, 505-466-3426), Charles Carella (for the Newark diocese, 973-994-1700), Lucie Huger, Bernard Huger, & Ed Goldenhersh (for Jeff City diocese, 314-241-9090).

A similar event will be held Monday at 11:00 a.m. outside the Newark archdiocese headquarters in Newark.

CONTACT
David Clohessy 314 566 9790, Mark Crawford 732 632 7687, Mark McAllister 540 520 8674, Barbara Dorris 314 503 0003 cell