Diocese of Portland Maine Catholic Bishop Robert Deeley is one of just a dozen or so U.S. prelates who steadfastly refuses to tell the public "Here's who we educated, hired, trained, supervised, transferred and protected and are in fact child molesters."
Maybe he didn't want to post such names because he was afraid of abuse and cover up lawsuits if state officials suddenly gave victims more time to sue.
If that's true, his nightmare has come true. Last week, the governor signed legislation lifting the civil statute of limitations on child sexual abuse.
This means that anyone who was abused at any time by anyone in Maine can now use the justice system to expose wrongdoers, seek justice, heal better and win compensation.
Because of that wise and compassionate move by state officials, we predict that the names of many of the child molesting clerics who were or are in Maine - and are still largely unknown throughout the state - will soon become known.
And we predict that Maine's bishop will, in the weeks or months ahead, finally reveal a list of 'credibly accused' clerics, if only to help foster the impression that he's 'reforming.' ("See, there's no need to haul us into court. We're finally coming clean about our predator priests.")
If or when Bishop Deeley does indeed release a list of [proven, admitted or credibly accused offenders, we also predict it will be far from complete.
In fact, here are four pedophile priests who were or are in Maine that we predict he'll leave OFF of his list:
(1) Fr. Paul J. Doherty, who retired to York Maine in 2006 and became a board member of a non-profit (The University of Southern Maine Osher Lifelong Learning Institute)
He was put on leave in 2006 after admitting he had abused a child in Massachusetts.
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news555/2017_12_00_OLLI_Newsletter_Profile_Paul.pdf
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2014/01_02/2014_01_26_Barnes_LancasterPriest.htm
http://www.telegram.com/article/20140126/NEWS/301269722/1116
(2) Fr. Ronald H. Paquin, whose 2018 conviction on child sex charged in Maine was upheld just last year. (In 2002, he pled guilty to child rape in Massachusetts.)
Fr. Paquin was known to have sexually abused more than 40 boys.
In 2002, he admitted abusing a boy (starting at age 11 and ending around age 17) in Massachusetts, Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Florida and Virginia. (according to documents in the Manchester NH diocese archives).
He worked in Cambridge, Milton, Chelsea, Lincoln, Methuen and Haverhill (all in Massachusetts).
http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Paquin_Ronald_H.htm
(3) Fr. Robert. J. Knapp, who was first accused of child sexual abuse in 1985, had "a father-son" relationship with a child, perpetrated sexual misconduct on three women and was defrocked in 2010 while he was living in Maine.
He is now on the Boston archdiocese' 'credibly accused' list.
http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Knapp_Robert_J.htm
(4) Fr. Harvey Lamonthe, against whom at least one abuse case was settled in 2002. He died in 1987 while in Maine.
http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Lamothe_Harvey.htm
Bishop Deeley clearly doesn't want his flock or Maine citizens to know who his child molesting clerics are.
We at Horowitz Law feel quite differently. We're convinced that kids will be safer and victims will be better when ALL the predatory priests in Maine are made public.
If you agree with us, we hope you'll spread the word about these four offenders. And if you know of others who were or in Maine, we hope you'll bring them to our attention.