PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A prosecutor says a Roman Catholic church official kept to "the game plan" at the Philadelphia archdiocese, keeping pedophile priests in ministry and the public in the dark about child sexual abuse.
Monsignor William Lynn, the secretary for clergy at the Roman Catholic archdiocese in Philadelphia, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy in his handling of sex-abuse allegations about priests.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington says Monsignor William Lynn could have called police or quit his job as secretary for clergy.
But he says Lynn cared more about keeping his job near the cardinal than protecting children.
Blessington's closing arguments are under way in Lynn's groundbreaking case.
Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his handling of abuse complaints. He faces up to 21 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment.
Defense lawyers argue that only the cardinal could remove dangerous priests.
Lynn says he did the best he could to help victims.
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By Matt Rourke, AP
Monsignor William Lynn, the secretary for clergy at the Roman Catholic archdiocese in Philadelphia, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy in his handling of sex-abuse allegations about priests.
Monsignor William Lynn, the secretary for clergy at the Roman Catholic archdiocese in Philadelphia, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy in his handling of sex-abuse allegations about priests.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington says Monsignor William Lynn could have called police or quit his job as secretary for clergy.
But he says Lynn cared more about keeping his job near the cardinal than protecting children.
Blessington's closing arguments are under way in Lynn's groundbreaking case.
Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his handling of abuse complaints. He faces up to 21 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment.
Defense lawyers argue that only the cardinal could remove dangerous priests.
Lynn says he did the best he could to help victims.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to [email protected]. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.