"A bill of information from the district attorney for Acadia parish charges 37-year-old Korey LaVergne with three counts of felony indecent behavior with a juvenile who was 15 at the time of the alleged offenses. Court documents charge LaVergne with willfully, unlawfully, knowingly and intentionally [committing] lewd or lascivious acts upon [the] juvenile or in the presence of the minor on or about 1 January 2024."
"Another Lafayette diocese priest named Gilbert Gauthe brought the Catholic clergy abuse crisis to the US's collective conscience by pleading guilty in 1985 to molesting several boys he encountered through his ministry. He served 10 years in prison, now lives in Texas, and has continued to be named in civil lawsuits from victims seeking damages from the Lafayette diocese over their abuse at Gauthe's hands."
"A document dated 11 March filed by LaVergne's attorneys state that the clergyman opted to waive his formal arraignment and in writing pleaded not guilty to the charges outlined in the bill of information."
Korey LaVergne, a 37-year-old priest in the Lafayette diocese of Louisiana, has been formally charged with three counts of felony indecent behavior with a juvenile. The alleged offenses occurred around January 1, 2024, involving a minor who was 15 years old at the time. LaVergne pleaded not guilty to the charges in March. He was arrested in mid-January and posted $15,000 bail within 90 minutes of being jailed. The Lafayette diocese is historically significant as the birthplace of the U.S. Catholic clergy abuse crisis, initiated by priest Gilbert Gauthe, who pleaded guilty in 1985 to molesting multiple boys and served 10 years in prison.
#catholic-clergy-abuse #criminal-charges #child-sexual-abuse #lafayette-diocese #institutional-accountability
Read at www.theguardian.com
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