Franciscan Monk who Transported and Abused Children from Mississippi also Spent Time in Philadelphia
A priest who has transported children across state lines in order to abuse them also worked and abused in Philadelphia. Now, we are asking the U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia to get involved in the investigation into his crimes and determine if there were others in the Philadelphia area who were hurt.
In a detailed investigation by the Associated Press published this week, two men who say they were raped and physically abused by Paul West, 59, were brought as children to Wisconsin on multiple occasions where West sexually assaulted them. West was a member of the Franciscan Friars Assumption, a Catholic religious order headquartered in Franklyn, Wisconsin.
The alleged assaults occurred in Mississippi and Wisconsin over several years, from the mid to late 1990's.
Now we have learned that West also spent time in Philadelphia, and fear that he may have abused others there. According to his employment history, West worked for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1989 to 1992. Additionally, according to personal testimony from his survivors in Mississippi, West raped both La Jarvis and Joshua Love during a stop-over in Philadelphia on a return trip from New York. Transporting a child across state lines for the purposes of committing a sex act is a federal crime punishable no less to 10 years in prison, up to life.
Due to these factors, we believe that the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania should begin investigating these crimes and determine if any federal charges can be brought against West for his actions in Philadelphia.
West appears to have been released from his religious order in 2002, however he does not appear on a list of credibly accused clerics published by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Archbishop Charles Chaput should immediately add West to this list of credibly accused clerics and also publicize the information about West in parish bulletins, church announcements, and on his website in order to encourage victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers to come forward and make a report to police and prosecutors.
“As a representative for SNAP in Philadelphia, I receive many calls from survivors on a weekly basis. Our goal is to offer support, options and empowerment to promote healing. If any victim of Br. West needs to talk, please know we are here and we believe you.
Contact: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Philadelphia, (267.261.0578 [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director