This Week In Holy Crimes
Over the last seven days...
South Carolina: Pastor John David Helmuth busted in internet sting for trying to meet what he thought was a 13 year-old girl for sex.
Connecticut: Rev. Iura Godenciuc charged with defrauding school district of $76K.
New York: Father William Blasingame pleads guilty to stealing $86K from his diocese for plastic surgery and botox. Linked photo proves he did not spend wisely.
Massachusetts: Rabbi Stanley Zusia Levitt charged with sexually assaulting two pre-teen boys.
Illinois: Father Fred Lenczycki, the first Catholic priest ever declared "sexually violent," has been released from prison after only five years after confessing to sexually assaulting over 30 boys.
Pennsylvania: Rev. Vincent Navorro Meekin charged with embezzling funds donated to build his church a new roof.
Arizona: Father Dale Fushek to have five separate trials for sexual crimes against minors. Bonus: Fuskek is the founder of Teen Life Ministries.
Illinois: Father Daniel McCormick may be indefinitely confined under the state's Sexually Violent Persons Act. McCormick is due for release after confessing to molesting five boys ages 8-12, but the state fears he will reoffend.
North Carolina: Pastor Robert Reaves has fired his attorneys and wants to defend himself in the 2008 stabbing murder of a woman who was seeing a man Reaves was reportedly interested in. Reaves has previous convictions for sexually abusing boys.
New Jersey: Rev. John Harris Jr. charged with sexually harassing a church employee who says she was fired for refusing his advances.
North Carolina: Pastor Brian Andrew Klein sued by parishioner who claims he coerced her into a sexual relationship when she was a minor.
Israel: Rabbi Avichai Zehavi under house arrest after four families come forward with allegations of sexual abuse of minors.
New York: Angelo Serrano, Director of Religious Education at St. Lucy - St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, charged with molesting 10 year-old boy. Cops say there may up to 17 other victims.
This Week's Winner -
Oklahoma: Pastor Ted Haggard is telling a local newspaper that he is now "completely free of homosexual compulsions." Haggard and his wife have been holding weekly "meetings" with fellow Christians in his Colorado Springs home. Haggard: "As a church, we're God's primary hand to help people with sin problems, whether it be gluttony, pride, hate, high-mindedness, selfishness, immorality (such as) fantasizing, porn, masturbation, homosexuality, bisexuality."
Labels: "celibacy", religion, Ted Haggard, This Week In Holy Crimes