FALLING
FALLING FROM GRACE. POLICE WERE ON THE DALLAS
DIOCESE.
DIOCESE.
DIOCESE. NEW CLAIMS OF SEX ABUSE AGAINST
PRIE+@STS.
PRIE+@STS. CHURCH LEADERS ON THE
DEFENSIVE.
DEFENSIVE. SEX ABUSE CRISIS BOILS OVER.
WFAA NEWS AT SIX STARTS RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. >>>
NOW. >>> GOOD EVENING.
>> WE HAVE SEEN A RECKONING IN
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
POLICE RARELY STEP IN.
THAT CHANGED TODAY IN DALLAS. +@
FIVE PREECE ARE UNDER
INVESTIGATION TONIGHT.
INVESTIGATION TONIGHT. OFFICERS RATED THREE DIOCESE
LOCATIONS FEATURING SECRET
ARCHIVES AND DIGGING INTO
HIDDEN C+@HURCH HISTORY.
WE SAW THE DOCUMENTS FROM SAINT
CECILIA CHURCH IN OAK CLIFF.
JASON WHITELY IS THERE TONIGHT.
DETECTIVES ARE ACCUSING THE
CHURCH STONEWALLING THEIR
INVESTIGATION?
INVESTIGATION? Reporter: THIS IS S+@OMETHING
D+@ALLAS HAS NEVER SEEN.
POLICE EXECUTING SEARCH
WARRANTS TH+@IS MORNN THE
CATHO+@LIC DIOCESE OF DALLAS.
ALONG WITH TWO OTHER LOCATIONS.
>> WE ARE LOOKING FOR ANY DATA
OR DOCUMENTATION.
OR DOCUMENTATION. THAT WOULD TEND+@ TFURTHER THE
INVESTIGATION INTO THEE
ALLEGATIN FCIDAE+@
INVESTIGATION INTO THEE >> EGATIN FCIDAE+@
INVESTIGATION INTO THEE >> Repore:DTCIE +@
INVESTIGATION INTO THEE >> Repore:DTCIE @
PURSUING FELON EGOS
AGAINST IEPEC.
AGAINST IEPEC. POLIESYA DIOCESE HAS NOT
FULLY COOPERATED.
FULLY COOPERATED. WHICH LED TO TODAY'S WARNED.
IN JANUARY, YOU PROAL
REMEMBER THEDOE+@REEIG
REMEMBER THEDOE+@REEIG NAMES OF 31 PREECE
THAT THE CHURCH SAID HAD
CRED+@IBLE ALLEGATIONSGAST
CRED+@IBLE ALLEGATIONSGAST HIM OF SXAL BSN
CRED+@IBLE ALLEGATIONSGAST CHILRN SXAL BSN
SINCE ,ALSPICHA
SINCE ,ALSPICHA ASKED TO SEE THE F+@ILES ON EVE
PRIEST WHO HAS EVER HAD A
CLAIM.
CLAIM.
CLAIM. THE 31 PAGE SEARCH WARRANT
TODAY, INVESTIGATORS SAID H
DALLAS POLICE DEPATT
NOT BEEN GIVEN THE NUMBER OF
PRIESTS FILES FLGFOR SEXUAL +@
ABUSE.
ABUSE.
ABUSE. WHY?
WHY?
WHY? POLICE SAY A DIOEO M
THE INFORMATION WAS PRIVILEGD
+@>> GO AHEAD AND SEARCH.
IF YOU THINK THERE IS SOMETHING
MORE THAN LOOK.
>> Reporter: BISHOP EDWARD
BURNS WAS DEFIANT THIS
AFTERNOON SPEAKING TO
REPORTERS.
REPORTERS. >> THE SEARCH WARRANT POINTS
OUT THAT IT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
EVERY SINGLE PRIEST THAT HAS
EVER BEEN FLAGGED.+@
NOT JUST THE 31 BUT EVERYONE
+@
NOT JUST THE 31 BUT EVERYONE ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. RELEASED THE INFORMATION.
POLICE SAY A HAVE BEEN ASKING
FOR THE INFORMATION BUT HAVEN'T
BEEN ABLE TO GET IT.
>> I KNOW T+@HERE IS ONGOING
CONVERSATIONS.
CONVERSATIONS. WITH THE DALLAS POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. >> Reporter: POLICE SAY A
DALLAS DIOCESE THAT ONLY
RELEASED INFORMATION THAT
BENEFITED THE CHURCH.
DETECTIVES SAID THE DIOCESE
ONLY ALERTED OFFICERS BECAUSE
IT W+@OULD CAUSE MEDIA ATTENTIO
IT WOULD LOOK BETTER TO SAY
THEY CONTACTED POLICE.
INVESTIGATORS KEPT THE
HEADQUARTERS OF THE DALLAS
DIOCESE CLOSED ALL DAY
WEDNESDAY AS THEY SEARCH FOR
EVIDENCE.
EVIDENCE.
EVIDENCE. AS THEY BEGIN TO BUILD CRIMINAL
CASES AGAINST PEDOPHILE
PRIESTS.
PRIESTS.
PRIESTS. >> AT +@THE 6:00 OUR DALLAS POLE
, GOING ON 12 HOURS.
TWO BIG TAKEAWAYS.
DALLAS+@ POLICE REVEALING THEY
HAVE OPENED FELONY
INVESTIGATIONS INTO FIVE
PREECE.
PREECE.
PREECE. WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE
SEXUALLY ASSAULTED CHILDREN.
DALLAS POLICING BISHOP BURNS
REJECTING THE IDEA.
OF THE DIOCESE HAS NOT BEEN
TRANSPARENT.
TRANSPARENT. THIS SIGNALS THAT THE SCANDAL
AND THE PROBLEM INVOLVING
PEDOPHILE +@PRIESTS WILL LIKELY
GET WORSE BEFORE ANY OF IT GETS
BETTER.
BETTER.
BETTER. >> IT HAS NOT LET UP JASON.
REITERATING WHAT WHITELEY SAID,
FIVE PREECE ARE NAMED IN
TODAY'S SEARCH WATT ALL WERE
NAMED EARLIER BY THE CHURCH
THIS YEAR AS HAVING CREDIBLE
ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE.
THEY ARE EDMUNDO PAREDES, 70;
RICHARD THOMAS BROWN, 77;
ALEJANDRO BUITRAGO, 77; WILLIAM
JOSEPH HUGHES, JR., 63+@; JEREM
MYERS, 62,
MYERS, 62, >> Reporter: WHEN NEWS OF THESE
ALLEGATIONS CAME OUT THE PARISH
WAS SHOCKED.
WAS SHOCKED. TODAY WE LEARNED THAT IT A+@LL
STARTED RIGHT HERE.
IT WAS THIS INVESTIGATION INTO
THEIR FORMER PRIEST THAT SET
ALL OF TODAY'S EVENTS INTO
MOTION.
MOTION.
MOTION. THIS W+@AS THE SCENE AT ST.
CECILIA CATHOLIC CHURCH THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. OFFICERS IN THE PARKING LOT OFF
OF WEST DAVIS STREET.
+@
OF WEST DAVIS STREET. LOADING ONE BOX INSIDE OF AN
UNMARKED SUV.
UNMARKED SUV. THIS IS THE MAN BEHIND ALL OF
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. ADMIN DOPA REDIS.
THIS STORY STARTS TWO YEARS
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. CHURCH OFFICIALS IT BEGAN
INVESTIGATING HIM AFTER FUNDS
DISAPPEARED.
DISAPPEARED.
+@
+@ HE
+@ HE LATER ADMITTED TO FINANCIAL
MISCONDUCT AND WAS REMOVED FROM
THE CHURCH.
THE CHURCH. AT LEAST $60,000 WAS MISSING.
LESS THAN A YEAR LATER ANOTHER
BOMBSHELL.
BOMBSHELL. CLAIMS O+@F SEXUAL ABUSE WERE
MADE AGAINST EDMUNDO PAREDES.
THE CONGREGATION DID NOT FIND
OUT ABOUT THIS UNTIL AUGUST.
>> IT SURPRISES ME.
>> Reporter: DALLAS POLICE
ISSUED A ARREST W+@ARRANT FOR
EDMUNDO PAREDES IN FEBRUARY.
WE
WE ARE
WE ARE LEARNING +@NEW DETAILS ABOUT HIM FROM OFFICIAL
DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATDWT HS
MORNING SEARCH
MORNING SEARCH IN AGS OIELEARNEDOF A
NEW ALLEGATION ATDUD
PAREDE+@S.
PAREDE+@S. REFERDT SVCI NUM+@R
ONE IN THE DOCUMENTS.
HE WAS AN ALTAR SERVER IN 1991
WHEN HE FIRST MET EDMUNDO
PAREDES.
PAREDES.
PAREDES. HE CLAIMS HE SEXUALL+@Y ABUSD
HIM FROM 1994 UNTIL 1999.
OFFICE STAFF RAISED CON+@CERNS
ABOUT THIS WITH THE NOW RETIRED
CHANCELLOR.
CHANCELLOR. +@ONCE THESE ACCUSATIONS AGAINS
THE FORMER PRIEST WERE MADE
PUBLIC IN AUGUST THAT'S WHEN
THE DIOCESE ANNOUNCED THEY
WOULD MAKE A LIST OF POSSIBLE
PRIESTS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT THIS
STARTED AS AN INVESTIGATION
INTO THE MONEY TWO YEARS AGO.
IT NOW ENDS TODAY WITH A LIST
OF FIVE DALLAS PREECE CHARGED
WITH SEXUAL ABUSE.
>> ONE TO START AN
INVESTIGATION THERE'S NO
TELLING WHERE IT MAY LEAD.
>>> YOU HAVE COVERED THE DALLAS
POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR YEARS.
WHY WOULD DETECTIVES DECIDE TO
SIDESTEP IT?
SIDESTEP IT? AND READ THE OFFICES?
>> IT +@IS TELLING.
TH+@EY COULD'VE CHOSEN TO GET A
SUBPOENA BUT THEY DID NOT DO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. IF
THAT. IF YOU READ THE WARREN IT IS
EXTREMELY DETAILED.
EXTREMELY DETAILED. IT IS AN INDICATION THAT THE
CHURCH AND THE POLICE BELIEVE
THE CHURCH WAS NOT BEING
COOPERATIVE.
COOPERATIVE. >> I MAY HAVE BEEN DIGGING
THROUGH THE SEARCH WARRANT. +@
IT WAS MORE THAN 30 PAGES.
POLICE LAID OUT A STRONG CASE
AGAINST THE CHURCH?
>> IT IS A STUNNING CASE.
IN ONE CASE THEY TURN OVER A
PERSONNEL FILE.
PERSONNEL FILE. THEN THEY REALIZE TH+@ERE ARE 5
PAGES MISSING AND THEY HAVE TO
ASK THE CHURCH FOR IT.
THEY CONTACT INVESTIGATORS IN
NEW MEXICO +@RHEA CO+@UNTY.
+@
NEW MEXICO +@RHEA CO+@UNTY. THEY FOU+@ND A BOX HIDDEN IN A
CLOSET.
CLOSET.
CLOSET. ANOTHER CASE THEY HAD TO PICK A
LOCK ON A VAULT.
IT'S CLEAR FOR POLICE TO TAKE
THIS STEP TO GET THE SEARCH
WARRANT THAT THEY DID NOT THINK
+@
WARRANT THAT THEY DID NOT THINK THE CHURCH WAS COOPERATIVE.
THEY THOUGHT THE CHURCH WAS
HIDING EVIDENCE.
HIDING EVIDENCE. THAT'S APPARENTLY WHY THEY DID
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. >>
THIS. >> THE CHURCH MADE IT NEXT TO
IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE IF A
CLAIM HAVE BEEN MADE.
IF SO, HAD IT BEEN HANDLED
PROPERLY?
PROPERLY?
PROPERLY? THESE KIND OF RAIDS DON'T
HAPPEN OFTEN.
HAPPEN OFTEN. WE HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE HERE IN
TEXAS.
TEXAS.
+@
+@ LAST
+@ LAST YEAR DOZENS OF STATE
INVESTIGATOR SURPRISE THE
ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. THE RECORDS RELATED TO ONE
PRIEST ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY
ABUSING TWO CHILDREN WHO
ATTENDED THE