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October 28th, 2011
10:00 PM ET
Predators in plain sight: Priests accused of child abuse appear beyond the reach of lawEditor’s note: Gary Tuchman reports on allegedly abusive Catholic priests who are living, unsuspected, in communities across the country on CNN Presents, Saturday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET on CNN. By Gary Tuchman and Jessi Joseph, CNN Los Angeles (CNN) - Former LAPD Detective Federico Sicard still remembers the Monday he arrived at a school to interview children who said a priest had molested them, even though the visit took place 23 years ago. Sicard found four children at the school, Our Lady of Guadalupe in East L.A., who said they’d been abused by Nicolas Aguilar Rivera, a priest who’d recently arrived from Mexico. But police never had a chance to interview Aguilar. “We went to interview the priest and they told us he’s no longer here,” Sicard, who spent more than 20 years on the case, said in a recent interview. “He’s gone. He was taken to Mexico.” Church officials said they found out about the alleged abuse on a Friday in early 1988 and met with Aguilar the next day to remove him from ministry. According to a police report, Aguilar told church officials at that meeting that he planned to return to his native Mexico at the beginning of the following week. The police were notified on Monday morning, but it was too late. Aguilar had already fled the United States for Mexico. “We made a call to child protective services. Nobody was answering the phone. It was 5 o’clock on a Friday,” said Tod Tamberg, the spokesman for the Los Angeles Archdiocese. “Monday morning the call was made – a notification was made – and Aguilar Rivera, during the weekend, fled without telling anybody, to Mexico,” Tamberg said. Sicard said if the police had been notified earlier, Aguilar would have been detained. After Aguilar fled, more reports of his alleged abuse surfaced. The Los Angeles District Attorney later filed a warrant for his arrest, charging Aguilar with molesting 10 children. Aguilar is still wanted in Los Angeles for 19 felony counts of lewd acts against a child. He had been in the U.S. for only nine months. “We’d love to know where he is, we really would,” Tamberg said. “I mean, the letters demanding his return don’t expire. We’d like him to come back and face justice.” Aguilar is one of hundreds of former Catholic priests who have faced sex abuse allegations and who now live unmonitored in unsuspecting communities. For decades, accused priests who were kicked out of the church for allegations of abuse blended back into society. No one keeps track of where they live. “Unfortunately, they’ve never been convicted,” said Tamberg. “They’re private citizens and so they’re free to move about and live where they want to.” Nearly 6,000 priests have been accused of molesting children in the United States since the 1950s, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Very few of the accused ever make it to a criminal trial, often because by the time the victims come forward the statute of limitations for the crime has passed. At that point, even if a priest admits to the abuse, he cannot go to jail. CNN has learned that Aguilar allegedly continued his abuse of children after fleeing to Mexico. In 1992, four years after leaving the U.S., Aguilar surfaced in Mexico City. Still a priest, he was assigned to the church, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro, where he met Joaquin Mendez. “I met him being an altar boy,” said Mendez, 30, who remembered him vividly. He said Aguilar became a close friend of his family. “Honestly, his presence made me feel uncomfortable. His breath smelled really bad. It was a disgusting smell. Even now I feel the scars of those memories,” said Mendez. Mendez was 13 years old when, he said, Aguilar called him into his bedroom at the church. “He said, ‘Come on in. Let me show you some music tapes I made.’ So I go in and then he forced me to pull down my pants. He raped me,” Mendez said. “I got away from him however I could,” Mendez continued. “He threatened me not to say anything to my family because if I did he was going to do the same thing to my brother.” But Mendez found the courage to come forward. He said he told his parents and they went to the police. Aguilar left Mexico City in 1995. Over the next 10 years he continued working as a priest in small towns in the Mexican state of Puebla. Five formal complaints have been filed against Aguilar in Mexico since his return from Los Angeles. Aguilar is still wanted in Puebla for statutory rape, but authorities there say they’ve lost his trail. CNN recently received a tip that Aguilar had been seen in Jonacatapec, a small farming town in the Mexican state of Morelos, about two hours south of Mexico City. Emiliano, a Jonacatapec farmer, told CNN he had seen Aguilar twice. He said he recognized Aguilar from the news. Emiliano took CNN journalists to a bus stop outside of town, the last place he had seen Aguilar. At the bus stop, a woman told CNN she rides the bus with Aguilar. “I saw him on the bus and he said I should take care of my baby,” she said. “That was all.” She had no idea about his past but agreed to show us where she believed Aguilar lived. Once in the neighborhood, CNN was unable to find anyone else who knew Aguilar. Sanjuana Martinez is a Mexican journalist who has written a book about Aguilar. She has also interviewed the priest himself. “I said I can’t believe it that he’s talking with me,” Martinez said. In a phone interview with Martinez, Aguilar repeatedly denied the allegations, including the charges made by Mendez. “All of this has been a series of defamation, slanders,” Aguilar told her. “That is what all of this has been.” Martinez said she believes it is unlikely Aguilar will ever be arrested in Mexico. The spokesman for the Archdiocese of Mexico City, Hugo Valdemar, said the church has no further responsibility for Aguilar. He said the church disputes the claim of rape by Mendez but acknowledged that Aguilar may be guilty of other abuse. “I’m not saying he may not have done things, because we have the impression that he did,” Valdemar said. “The church has done what needed to be done. It suspended Nicolas Aguilar. He is no longer a priest.” But church officials in Mexico did not defrock Aguilar until 2009, years after they knew about the alleged abuse. Valdemar said that it’s not the church’s job to hunt down suspects: ”This is a job for the police.” Tony De Marco is a Los Angeles attorney that represents Joaquin Mendez and others who say they were abused by Aguilar. “There is no desire on the part of the church here to see that he be prosecuted and put in jail,” De Marco said. De Marco said he would like to see the same policy changes in Mexico regarding victims of clergy sexual abuse that have been made in the U.S. “You’ve seen things like zero-tolerance policies, you’ve seen compensation to victims, you’ve seen prosecutions of priests and most recently - finally - prosecution of those who facilitated and helped these men ... continue to molest kids,” said De Marco. “Change can happen. That’s my client’s belief and that’s my belief.” But for now, Aguilar, and hundreds of other accused priests throughout the U.S. appear to remain beyond the reach of the law. –– CNN’s Luisa Calad, Valeria Longhi and special contributor Jesus Soria contributed to this report. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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CNN has a literal mandate to portray Christianity in a poor light. My cousin has been an assistant editor there for the past 18 months, and is stuck in that department. They have weekly brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for stories, and most positive stories are shot down instantly. Nobody publically asks why, but they all know the reasons. He says anything "the other guys" (presumambly Fox News) promote has to be spun around here 180 degrees.
Liar? party of one? Your table's ready, this way please lol!
I don't think that any type of mandate could assist in spinning the subject matter of this story as any worse than it is. Stop trying to 'protect' something that doesn't need or deserve protection. So many here are more outraged by their perception of an attack on their religion than they are by what their religion has done. In no small way, the Catholic church as assisted, enabled and sanctioned this criminal and immoral behavior for centuries. And, if the members of the church do not demand change, aren't they guilty to some degree in this conspiracy with the church to allow this to continue and to hide these people from justice?
ATHEISTS, CATHOLICS, MUSLIMS, MORMONS WHATEVER.....You are ALL RELIGIOUS NUTBAGS(yes, even Atheists have a religion – they bash everyone just as much for not going along with themselves). You ALL need to shutup and respect each other!
Follow your own advice Sam.
The first intelligent comment on this board.
LMAO!!
Well said. We (atheists) are becomming just as annoying now and there's some real immature people here.
Atheism is not a religion it just simply means one does not believe in god... or the devil for that matter. You should get your facts straight.
Atheism is no religion, though there are some that enjoy the simplicity of bashing the religious.
Atheism IS a religion. You have a belief (there is no God – we can't prove it just as it can't be proved there is one), you support it, and you bash peoples of other religions. FACE IT
So, lacking a belief in a deity (atheism) is a religion? What do you call someone who does not collect stamps? A hobby?
Agreed. Atheists are just as much a religion these days as anyone.
I have an idea. Those of us who are atheists, stop trashing other folks' beliefs. Those of us who are church folks, don't trash the atheists. We all need to stand up together to the molestors, be it in a Roman collar or protestant church, or teachers, or coaches, or boy scout leaders, or anyone else who assaults kids. Those actions are the ones which need to be condemned, not other folks' beliefs about the existence or non-existence of god.
Well said Mike.
Well said.
It would be interesting to see solid data on the incidence of pedophilia in various professions. Of course, you'd think a holier-than-thou profession would have a low incidence.
It was just 2 months ago that liberals in the AMA were trying to get the charge of molestation dropped as a law. Stating that these people are "misunderstood."
You're lying, just to start a fight.
Look it up, bumpy.
Give a reference, Cheese! Who are the "AMA liberals"?
Atheists are promoting their own ath-hole agenda.
If you're waiting for jesus, he's shacked up in a cheap motel with a prossi and a bottle of gin, so don't expect him for at least a few more hours.
Grumpy, you need to try harder. Think harder. You can come up with something good, maybe,
Federer, I thought Grumpy made a good point. Don't you think that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a few drinks once in awhile?
"Reality check" is evidently oxymoronic.
cnn continues to bash Catholics.
So a news network reporting stuff that actually happened in the Catholic Church is bashing Catholics? Wow....
One article mentioning of the crimes committed by a group of former priests, sure. Jesse, if you come on this website regularly, you'll notice that something of the order of 90%+ of the Belief Blog articles are written putting Christianity in a negative light. That's a fact. That's an agenda.
Yeah yeah...just like your priests who like to molest little boys. If your God exists and condones you sitting in a church filled with pedophiles then you can have him. Now...can I go take a shower?
CNN bashing Catholics? Well thank heaven for that. I am a Catholic and I think it is integral for the church to be reminded of this. It was swept under the rug for so many years, even by our now Pope. Cardinal Ratzinger refused to defrock known pedophiles, and now he is infalliable? Granted this is only when speaking from the chair, but I find it disgusting what the leaders of the Church have allowed, and can allow a MAN who has known about a abuse and been a conduit for continuing abuse by shifting priests from parish to parish. – "Lord allow me to be an instrument of your PEACE," not piece.
Jesse,,,,, actually he's right. Just watch this blog and you'll see that CNN just rehashes the same stories over and over. This particular story has been on the website for several days, yet today it's on the front page. Why?
Report the news, but don't report the same story as news every few months like it's a new revelation.
Federer – you think that ONE article that mentions this subject is sufficient coverage? Isn't this something that should be covered until it CHANGES?
The best days are when the catholic church is no more.
Amen
again i urge folks to put this in perspective, thses priests are gay.
Amen, brother. And, these priests are not all gay...I doubt that most of them are gay.
If this is true, I have no clue how he lives with himself and I wonder how he will make good with the Creator of the earth
Yes I wonder how jesus as a child got through this?
Oh yeah there's no information at all when jesus was growing up, oh dear.
Jesus didn't have to deal with this growing up, because there was no Catholic church.
Pattypal, pedophilia must go beyond and before the Catholic Church.
It wasn't clear from my statement, but I meant as a Christian...it was more of a joke.
grumpy, get your head back down. You have work to do.
Yeah, trying to keep you out of my pants. If you like picking up strange men online, try CraigsList. I hear they cater to perverts. You should do well.
sterilization & appendage amputation!!!
Catholic Priest: We are taking some of the catholic daughters on a camp overnight
Ignorant Parent: Ah huh, so who's attending so far?
Catholic Priest: Just your daughter and me.
Ignorant Parent: I can't see any harm in that!
No, but I can see a dead catholic priest one day.
My rabbi, a psychiatrist, enrolled me in the MK ULTRA program... but nobody cried "ABUSE!". Double-standards.
Lucky. I wish I could drop acid legally
Atheists on this board are just another form of racists. They can't accept other people's right to freedom of religion, so they attack them.
I'll make you a deal: You shut up about god and we'll shut up about how he doesn't exist. We don't want to hear from you any more than you want to hear from us.
Grumpy, nobody's forcing you inside a church.
Very good point. Atheists believe in not believing, they just don't believe it though. Ha!
First of all, religion isn't a race. So, you can't be a racist just because you dislike religion. Secondly, I doubt that the average atheist gives a hoot what religion you follow. They probably only shake their heads at your decidedly bigoted remark and wonder (like many of the rest of us here) how you can spew that crap and see yourself as religious. Sort of like the pedophile priest that does what he does and still sees himself as a person worthy to shroud himself in a religious cloak.
Freedom of religion does NOT include molesting children!!
I have a question, seriously. How does one look at the beauty and awesomeness of the earth, the universe, the world, and come to the conclusion, that there is no God, that everything just...pow happened or something. Please explain someone who does not believe. Please
LLL, Freedom of religion should not also mean the killing of thousands in Africa by declaring the use of condoms to be immoral.
I find it horrifying how many catholics come on these boards, not angry that children have been and are being se.xually abused, but to defend those who prey on those children, and to call the victims liars. Any god who would consider this sort of thing to be a virtue is vile creature indeed.
Have not read those posts, but please don't blame God... blame ignorant people doing things, or saying things, in the name of God.
Oh yeah Paul..your God saves but he doesn't protect? What is wrong with you people? Your god is no more relevant than Gumby.
I don't blame god; I don't believe in god. I am saying those who would rather protect pedophiles than children just because they think their church is beyond reproach is worshiping something vile.
it pains me to read this as a Catholic. these priests are supposed to be examples and because of these evil acts it makes the Catholic Church look horrible. I really wish we could put these pigs to justice.
Wow, just as I post my disgust with some catholics, here's a catholic who stands up for justice. Thank you, John Ford, for being someone who cares.
I am catholic and Kof C Member. What these priests have done. They need to be kick out of the church and go stright to jail!!! It make's it hard to say you are a catholic.
I was a catholic. I am ashamed of the Catholic church. No, it is not just the priests who are bad and make the 'holy' catholic church looks bad. Catholic church is rich and corrupt. Have you ever been to the Vatican and heard how they robbed Rome to build the Vatican palace? Have you heard of how corrupt the church is? I officially quit Catholic church after my brother was brainwashed by some priests to join the priesthood, so much that I couldn't believe things he said. Instead of speaking about love, he was this one self centered person who said that God will take care of his aging mother, and that such and such saints also decided to not care for their aging parents. He broke my elderly mom's heart so badly and he talked to mom that he was leaving so that he could suffer and live in poverty. Figure that, this was one woman who sold everything she had and worked 14 hours/day to send him to college after my dad passed away and left us in bankruptcy, hoping that he'd have a better life. So much of catholic church. So much is for the priest of the covent who was there trying to speak for my brother to me! And so much is for God. If God exists, may I pray that these people burn in hell.
Cagirl is right. If you ever have a chance, just try walking through the Vatican. After awhile, the opulence overwhelms you with the thought of how many poor people died to make this palace.
When a Catholic says he believes in God he is ridiculed by people that hate the church but when a person says they were abused by clergy it's suddenly 100% fact.
Because the clergy exist. god doesn't. How hard was that?
There is no proof of any god. There is ample proof of pedophiles.
Hey Grumpy, prove it.
Look around, belinda, the proof is everywhere. Although, if I'm wrong and god does exist, he's one twisted psychopath.
Give the dirty pedo a Puerto Vallarta necktie lol!
As liberals try to enhance gay rights, the rate of child molestations rise.
You're confusing liberals with the church.
Lets see some numbers to back up that accusation. Please use a neutral source.
Huh? First, what does that have to do with this issue? Secondly, if you believe that someone is more likely to molest a child because they are gay, you ARE a piece of gov't cheese.
Grumpy, Cheese is simply confused. And not such a good troll!
Atheists, Catholics, Muslims....you're ALL a bunch on nut-bags, each with your own belief, with a love of attacking the other groups.
Atheist DON'T believe in fairy tales
I agree the others ones mentioned are nut-bags though
And you just hate everyone.
good thing you are here, having the corner on the truth, must be difficult to be correct always
Nah, Tellulah13, Sam pretty much loves himself. Maybe that will keep his hands off of little children though.
Church: Defend your flock, quit protecting Wolves in Sheeps Clothing!!!
Quit raping boys!
This isn't news. Most s..x offenders get away with their crimes due to the statute of limitations in most states. And it is appalling that CNN only likes to cover clergy abuse when the MOST abuse happens by family members, neighbors, relatives. Check out the report done by Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.