For immediate release:
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

While supposedly living with top church official, priest molests 3 year old

After he’s arrested, archdiocese helps him flee to his native South America

Prosecutors then declined to pursue recent child sex crimes against young girl

New civil child molestation and cover up case against Catholic hierarchy is filed

Predator gave ‘marriage counseling’ to mother while sexually exploiting daughter

WHAT

At a news conference, victims’ attorneys will announce and briefly discuss a new child molestation and cover up lawsuit involving recent child sex crimes. It’s against two dioceses (one here, one in South America) and a priest who

-- lived with a high ranking archdiocesan official and

-- has left the country and is now believed to be living in Ecuador.

WHEN

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1:00 p.m.

WHERE

At the law offices of Jeff Anderson, 336 Jackson (corner of Fifth) in downtown St. Paul MN

WHO

Two attorneys (and a Spanish-speaking legal assistant) who represent the young victim and also represent hundreds of other men and women who were abused as kids by teachers, coaches, ministers, and other authority figures

WHY

In 2001, Fr. Francisco Montero a/k/a Fr. Francisco “Fredy” Montero was assigned to live with Fr. Kevin McDonough, vicar general of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. From 2006 to 2007, Montero, a native of Ecuador, repeatedly molested a three and four year old girl.

He arrived in Minnesota in February or March of 2001and was assigned to Incarnation parish in Minneapolis’ __ neighborhood, where the girl’s family belonged. (It’s also called Comunidad Sagrado Corazon de Jesus). Montero provided the mom ‘counseling’ while abusing her young daughter. After Montero was arrested for the abuse in 200_, McDonough retrieved some of the priest’s clothes and personal items from the mom’s apartment and helped Montero leave the US, the lawsuit says.

A Spanish speaking Twin Cities legal assistant recently called Montero in Ecuador. He admitted he’s now working in a Catholic parish there.

While in Minnesota, Montero, now 31, also said masses at St. John Newman in Eagan, MN and started a newspaper and radio show, both in Spanish.

The suit, filed late yesterday in Ramsey County and served on the archdiocese, seeks unspecified damages. Defendants include the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Guaranda Diocese in Ecuador.

CONTACT

St. Paul attorneys Jeff Anderson (651 227 9990, 612 817 8665 cell) and Mike Finnegan (651 227 9990, 612 205 5531 cell), and legal assistant Ivonne Manay (Spanish-speaking, 651 227 9990)