OH - Victims prod church to act about arrested priest

• Victims prod church to act about arrested priest
• Group wants “outreach” to others who may have been hurt
• Cleric arrested recently for trying to meet young boys for sex
• SNAP wants “victims, witnesses and whistleblowers” to step forward
• “Church officials should be doing more to help law enforcement,” group says

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims and supporters will hand out fliers to urging Greek Orthodox church officials to

--to make public every location where a recently-arrested priest worked, and

--aggressively seek out and help anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered any misconduct by him or other clerics.

They will also urge any other victims, witnesses or whistleblowers with any knowledge or suspicions of clerics’ crimes to contact law enforcement immediately.

WHEN
Tuesday, Sept. 25th at NOON

WHERE
Outside Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 555 North High Street, Columbus, OH

WHO
Two or three clergy sex abuse victims and supporters who belong to a nationwide a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( http://www.snapnetwork.org/)

WHY
Last week, Father Patrick Nicholas Hughes was arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff’s office for trying to meet up for a sexual encounter with two boys, ages 9 and 14. Hughes is the acting dean at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the southern edge of the Short North.

Hughes has been charged with attempted rape, a second-degree felony, and attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, a fourth-degree felony.

In light of these charges, SNAP feels that this is likely not Hughes’ first sexual misconduct. The group fears there may be other children who have already been harmed by him and that church officials should actively be reaching out to them. Church authorities should also be using parish bulletins and websites and other resources to urge witnesses and whistleblowers to contact law enforcement, so that Hughes might be effectively prosecuted, SNAP believes.

When he was arrested, Hughes gave his home address as 6191 Zumstein Dr. on the North Side, which is a Hawthorn Suites hotel.

Hughes is the acting dean at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the southern edge of the Short North.

Phone number and email address for Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral is (614) 224-9020, <[email protected]>,
<[email protected]>, http://www.greekcathedral.com/index.cfm?page=home