Jury selection begins Tuesday, Feb. 21 for five once-trusted members of the Philadelphia Archdiocese: three priests, a teacher, and a ranking official of the local Catholic Church. Charles Engelhardt, Bernard Shero, Edward Avery and James Brenner are accused of rape, sexual assault and related offenses. The church official, Monsignor William Lynn, has been accused of endangering the welfare of a child.

The indictments against the defendants stem from a lengthy and extremely disturbing grand jury investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by certain Catholic priests against children – specifically young boys and in some cases the same boy.

The 2011 release of the grand jury’s findings followed an earlier investigation into the same allegations in 2005, allegations that church officials knew about, but tolerated and tried to keep hidden.

“In September 2003, a grand jury of local citizens released a report detailing a sad history of sexual abuse by priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia,” the report stated. “That abuse was known, tolerated, and hidden by high church officials, up to and including the Cardinal himself.

The previous grand jury was frustrated that it could not charge either the abusers or their protectors in the church, because the successful cover-up of the abuse resulted in the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Now, measures taken in response to the previous report have led to new information about more recent abuse, which this grand jury was empanelled to investigate. The fact that we received that information, and from the church itself, is some sign of progress; and this time there will be charges.

The present grand jury, however, is frustrated to report that much has not changed. The rapist priests we accuse were well known to the Secretary of Clergy, but he cloaked their conduct, and put them in place to do it again.

The procedures implemented by the Archdiocese to help victims are in fact designed to help the abusers, and the Archdiocese itself. Worst of all, apparent abusers – dozens of them, we believe – remain on duty in the Archdiocese, today, with open access to new young prey.”

The grand jury investigation revealed that as many as 37 priests were suspected of criminal sexual behavior with children. According to the report, from 1992 until 2004, Lynn was responsible for investigating reports that priests had sexually abused children.

He was supposed to recommend what actions the Church should take to ensure the suspected priests could not reoffend. Instead, the Grand Jury investigation learned that Lynn allegedly allowed dangerous priests to continue in ministry.

“Sexual abuse of children is a crime,” said the Cardinal Justin Rigali in a statement released to the press last year. “It is always wrong and gravely evil. Protecting children, preventing child abuse, and assisting victims are priorities of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. "The grand jury report makes clear that for as much as the Archdiocese has done to address child sexual abuse, there is still much to do. Many people of faith and in the community at large think that the Archdiocese does not understand the gravity of child sexual abuse. We do. The task before us now is to recognize where we have fallen short, and to let our actions speak to our resolve."

The allegations of the case are very disturbing. According to the grand jury’s investigation, the case began with a victim who so far is known only as “Billy.” Billy was 10-years old when his sexual abuse by Catholic priests started.

He was a student at St. Jerome School when two priests molested and orally sodomized him during the 1998-99 school year. When Billy entered the sixth grade, he encountered Bernard Shero, who also allegedly forced him to engage in inappropriate sexual acts.

As a result of these encounters, when Billy grew older, his behavior began to change significantly. He no longer played sports or socialized with his friends. He separated himself, and began to smoke marijuana at age 11. By the time Billy was in high school, he was abusing prescription painkillers.
Eventually he graduated to heroin. It was at an inpatient drug treatment facility that Billy first told someone about his abuse.