By Ivey DeJesus, Harrisburg, July 25, 2017<\/p>\n
A Catholic priest from Westmoreland County has been criminally charged for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy.<\/p>\n
The arrest on Monday of the Rev. John T. Sweeney, of Greensburg, marks the latest crackdown on clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania and is part of a broader ongoing investigation by the state Attorney General’s office into additional allegations of abuse by priest.<\/p>\n
Sweeney was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony.<\/p>\n
“Children are targeted by predators because they are vulnerable,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who announced the charges at the news conference in Lower Burrell Township, Westmoreland County, near the St. Margaret Mary’s Catholic School where, authorities say, the victim was a fourth grade student when the sexual assault took place during the 1991-92 school year. The school is in the Greensburg Diocese.<\/p>\n
“It often takes victims of child sexual abuse years or decades to come forward, because they struggle with shame, confusion, or fear.”But once a victim finds the courage to come forward, law enforcement should take action,”\u00a0Shapiro said.<\/p>\n
According to the grand jury’s presentment, the victim – while in fourth grade – was sent to Sweeney for discipline because he had been disruptive on a school bus.<\/p>\n
The grand jury found that Sweeney used his authority and position as a priest, under the guise of a disciplinarian, to gain access to the victim and to force the victim to perform oral sex on Sweeney in a conference room next to Sweeney’s office inside the St. Margaret Mary Parish.<\/p>\n
After Sweeney finished sexually assaulting the 10-year-old boy, Sweeney’s parish secretary brought the boy milk and cookies, the report said.<\/p>\n
The victim last September reported the crime to police, which led to the attorney general’s office involvement.<\/p>\n