A Philadelphia judge declared Friday that four clergy members of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, plus a former Northeast Philadelphia Catholic school teacher, will stand trial together on various child endangerment charges.
Friday’s court hearing determined that criminal charges will stick in the indictment of Roman Catholic church official 60-year-old Monsignor William Lynn, who is charged with conspiracy and child-endangerment for his handling of priest transfers, reports the Inquirer.
Lynn is the only U.S. church official ever charged in the sex-abuse scandal for allegedly transferring predator priests to unsuspecting parishes, endangering yet more children.
Lynn's attorneys say that he had no children in his care, so he can't be charged with endangering them.
Two priests -- Revs. Charles Engelhardt, 64, and James Brennan, 47, an ex-priest -- Edward Avery, 68 and a former teacher -- Bernard Shero, 47, are charged in the same case with raping boys. Like Lynn, they have rejected a recent plea offer that would have sent them to prison for 7 1/2 to 15 years.
While ordering that they be charged together, Philadelphia Common Please Court Judge Lillian Ransom did throw out one conspiracy count against Shero. Ransom said that the former 6th grade teacher at St. Jerome’s School in Northeast Philadelphia was not conspiring with the priests, reports the Inquirer.
