Bolivia sentences priests for concealing decades of child sex abuse
A Bolivian court sentenced two elderly Spanish Jesuit priests to a year each in prison on Tuesday for concealing decades of child sex abuse committed by their colleague in the church.
The convictions of the priests, Marcos Recolons, 81, and Ramon Alaix, 83, mark Bolivia's first successful criminal prosecution against high-ranking members of the Catholic Jesuit order implicated in concealing abuse cases.
Prosecutors argued that Recolons and Alaix led the Jesuit order in Bolivia while the abuse occurred. They were aware of the allegations against a priest, Alfonso Pedrajas, but failed to report them to police, allowing him to continue contact with children, according to the prosecution.
The case came to light in 2023 with the publication of a diary belonging to Pedrajas, who died in 2009. In it, he wrote about abusing at least 85 minors between 1972 and 2000, many of whom were Indigenous students on scholarships at a prominent boarding school.
The diary entries sparked international outrage and intensified the debate over the Catholic Church's accountability in child sex abuse scandals across Latin America.
In addition, prosecutors will pursue new cases against other priests named by victims during the trial, the judge said.
Pedro Lima, a spokesperson for a Bolivian sex abuse survivors' group, said the one-year sentence for each priest was "not very severe" but still "makes clear that they were responsible."
He called the ruling a historic moment.
"We want this to be a precedent so that no boy or girl in Bolivia suffers sexual abuse," Lima added.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/b...025-09-02/
Civil complaint against Archdiocese of Hartford alleges priest sexually abused minor at gunpoint in 1988
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A civil complaint has been filed against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford for allegations stating a late New Haven priest, the late Rev. Howard Nash, sexually assaulted an 8-year-old boy at gunpoint in 1988.
The civil complaint states that Nash began telling the victim about his house in Vermont at one of these family gatherings, knowing that the boy had recently taken an interest in skiing. Arrangements were made for him to visit Nash for a weekend and ski at Mount Snow.
The victim claims that while he was given his own bedroom in the home, Nash entered the room multiple times throughout the night and sexually assaulted him using the same gun from earlier that day. According to the complaint, Nash smelled of alcohol during the incident.
The complaint states that the next day, on Sunday, weather conditions were not suitable for skiing, and Nash drove the victim back to his home in Connecticut. Nash allegedly told him that whatever he thought happened was a nightmare, and that he better forget all about it.
The complaint states that the Archdiocese had a duty to use reasonable care to prevent priests working within the Archdiocese from sexually assaulting, abusing or exploiting minor children.
It further claims that the Archdiocese purposefully and intentionally concealed all evidence of an ongoing sexual assault problem between priests and minors within the church. Despite allegedly being aware of the situation between Nash and the victim, they continued to allow him and other accused priests to work in the Archdiocese.
https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/ne...point/amp/
Midland pastor convicted of sexually abusing child after week-long trial
A Midland County jury has found James Randolph, a former youth pastor at Living Word Church, guilty on all six counts of sexually abusing a girl when she was a child.
The verdict came Friday afternoon after a seven-day trial and two and a half hours of deliberations. Ten men and two women found Randolph, 59, guilty of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a relationship, three counts of second-degree CSC with a relationship, and one count of second-degree CSC with a child under 13.
Randolph served for decades as head of youth ministries at Living Word International Church, led by Pastor Mark Barclay, his father-in-law.
This is the second time Randolph has been convicted of sexual assault. In 1985, he pleaded guilty to third-degree CSC after raping a 15-year-old girl with developmental disabilities in Jackson.
Former church members told TV5 they were satisfied with the verdict and raised questions about why Randolph was allowed to remain in leadership despite his criminal history.
“I think there was a ball dropped there,” said former members Dan and Dana Stahl. “That’s definitely negligence.”
Others pointed directly to church leadership.
“Mark Barclay, the person that ordained and promoted and elevated James Randolph,” Dana Stahl said. “He was aware of his past crimes.”
https://www.wnem.com/2025/08/30/midland-...ong-trial/
A Bolivian court sentenced two elderly Spanish Jesuit priests to a year each in prison on Tuesday for concealing decades of child sex abuse committed by their colleague in the church.
The convictions of the priests, Marcos Recolons, 81, and Ramon Alaix, 83, mark Bolivia's first successful criminal prosecution against high-ranking members of the Catholic Jesuit order implicated in concealing abuse cases.
Prosecutors argued that Recolons and Alaix led the Jesuit order in Bolivia while the abuse occurred. They were aware of the allegations against a priest, Alfonso Pedrajas, but failed to report them to police, allowing him to continue contact with children, according to the prosecution.
The case came to light in 2023 with the publication of a diary belonging to Pedrajas, who died in 2009. In it, he wrote about abusing at least 85 minors between 1972 and 2000, many of whom were Indigenous students on scholarships at a prominent boarding school.
The diary entries sparked international outrage and intensified the debate over the Catholic Church's accountability in child sex abuse scandals across Latin America.
In addition, prosecutors will pursue new cases against other priests named by victims during the trial, the judge said.
Pedro Lima, a spokesperson for a Bolivian sex abuse survivors' group, said the one-year sentence for each priest was "not very severe" but still "makes clear that they were responsible."
He called the ruling a historic moment.
"We want this to be a precedent so that no boy or girl in Bolivia suffers sexual abuse," Lima added.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/b...025-09-02/
Civil complaint against Archdiocese of Hartford alleges priest sexually abused minor at gunpoint in 1988
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A civil complaint has been filed against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford for allegations stating a late New Haven priest, the late Rev. Howard Nash, sexually assaulted an 8-year-old boy at gunpoint in 1988.
The civil complaint states that Nash began telling the victim about his house in Vermont at one of these family gatherings, knowing that the boy had recently taken an interest in skiing. Arrangements were made for him to visit Nash for a weekend and ski at Mount Snow.
The victim claims that while he was given his own bedroom in the home, Nash entered the room multiple times throughout the night and sexually assaulted him using the same gun from earlier that day. According to the complaint, Nash smelled of alcohol during the incident.
The complaint states that the next day, on Sunday, weather conditions were not suitable for skiing, and Nash drove the victim back to his home in Connecticut. Nash allegedly told him that whatever he thought happened was a nightmare, and that he better forget all about it.
The complaint states that the Archdiocese had a duty to use reasonable care to prevent priests working within the Archdiocese from sexually assaulting, abusing or exploiting minor children.
It further claims that the Archdiocese purposefully and intentionally concealed all evidence of an ongoing sexual assault problem between priests and minors within the church. Despite allegedly being aware of the situation between Nash and the victim, they continued to allow him and other accused priests to work in the Archdiocese.
https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/ne...point/amp/
Midland pastor convicted of sexually abusing child after week-long trial
A Midland County jury has found James Randolph, a former youth pastor at Living Word Church, guilty on all six counts of sexually abusing a girl when she was a child.
The verdict came Friday afternoon after a seven-day trial and two and a half hours of deliberations. Ten men and two women found Randolph, 59, guilty of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a relationship, three counts of second-degree CSC with a relationship, and one count of second-degree CSC with a child under 13.
Randolph served for decades as head of youth ministries at Living Word International Church, led by Pastor Mark Barclay, his father-in-law.
This is the second time Randolph has been convicted of sexual assault. In 1985, he pleaded guilty to third-degree CSC after raping a 15-year-old girl with developmental disabilities in Jackson.
Former church members told TV5 they were satisfied with the verdict and raised questions about why Randolph was allowed to remain in leadership despite his criminal history.
“I think there was a ball dropped there,” said former members Dan and Dana Stahl. “That’s definitely negligence.”
Others pointed directly to church leadership.
“Mark Barclay, the person that ordained and promoted and elevated James Randolph,” Dana Stahl said. “He was aware of his past crimes.”
https://www.wnem.com/2025/08/30/midland-...ong-trial/
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
