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Retired Greensburg priest admits to sexually assaulting 10-year-old

The Herald - 8/1/2018

Aug. 01--GREENSBURG -- A retired Greensburg Diocese priest has admitted to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in the early 1990s.

The Rev. John Thomas Sweeney, 74, was arrested in 2017 by the office of Attorney General Josh Shapiro on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of indecent assault in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court.

The victim, who is now in his 30s, was identified only by his first name, "Josh." He serves in the U.S. Coast Guard. Josh said he decided to come forward after watching the movie, "Spotlight," which chronicles the investigation by reporters at the Boston Globe into accusations of widespread sexual abuse of children in the Catholic church and the resulting coverup by high-ranking officials in the church.

Sweeney was indicted as a result of a grand jury probe into sexual abuse by priests and clergy against children in six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, including the dioceses of Greensburg and Erie. A report of those grand jury findings is expected to be released in some form this month.

The grand jury found that Sweeney used his authority and position as a priest, and under the guise of a disciplinarian, to force the victim to perform oral sex on him. Josh, who was in the fourth grade during the 1991-92 school year at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School in Lower Burrell, had been sent to Sweeney for discipline after he was disruptive on a school bus.

Sweeney's lawyer had argued that the statute of limitations had expired on the 25-year-old assault.

Shapiro held a news conference following the plea. Sweeney's victim stood next to him during the press conference.

"Josh is a hero to come forward to tell his difficult truth about Sweeney because of his concern that other children could be harmed if Sweeney were not held accountable," Shapiro said. "Once a victim finds the courage to come forward, law enforcement should take action."

He added that the accusations against Sweeney were difficult to hear for some who had known the priest during his decades-long career.

"When I stood here just over one year ago to announce charges against this priest, many congregants expressed their disbelief that the allegations could possibly be true," Shapiro said. "I understood their instinctive reaction. I understand it's hard for someone of faith to imagine that a trusted leader could have done something so despicable. But today there is no doubt, John Sweeney is accepting full responsibility and admitting what he did."

Sweeney faces up to five years in prison.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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