Boston Sexual Abuse Lawyer Blog

The Diocese of Worcester has asked the Vatican to defrock the Rev. Lowe B. Dongor, the Roman Catholic priest charged in September with possessing child pornography and stealing from his parish in Fitchburg, reports the Telegram and Gazette.

Church and law enforcement officials believe Rev. Dongor has fled the country and may have returned to his native homeland of the Philippines. A default warrant was issued for Rev. Dongor after the clergyman failed to show up for an Oct. 25, 2011 court hearing.

Chancery officials said they are seeking to oust Rev. Dongor in the wake of a "clarification" last spring by church officials in Rome that possession of child pornography is grounds for removal from the priesthood.

In May, the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith declared that "the acquisition, possession, and distribution of child pornography is a canonical delict that pertains to the sexual abuse of a minor."

State police have charged that one of Rev. Dongor's laptops contained images of girls around the ages of 10 and 11 in various states of undress. The priest also allegedly admitted to investigators that, on a number of occasions, he stole "$40 or $50" from St. Joseph Parish to send to his family in the Philippines, reports the Telegram and Gazette

Rev. Dongor is on administrative leave of absence and was relieved, in July, of his duties as associate pastor at St. Joseph's by Bishop Robert J. McManus.

Raymond L. Delisle, a spokesman for the diocese, said that Bishop McManus has asked Pope Benedict XVI to defrock Rev. Dongor in light of the pornography allegations.

Bishop McManus had written the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines warning that the priest may have returned home to the Southeast Asian islands nation.

In a letter to the Filipino prelates, the bishop said that Rev. Dongor left a note saying that he would be returning "home."

In November, the Philippine-based abs-cbnNEWS.com reported that the priest returned to his hometown of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, in October.

The website said that relatives, including Rev. Dongor's brother, Joey, were surprised by the visit.

Family members said they hadn't seen the priest in years and said they were shocked by the charges.

Timothy Connolly, a spokesman for District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., said local authorities would move to extradite Rev. Dongor back to Massachusetts, if he is located, reports the Telegram and Gazette.

At this point, he said the DA's office has no solid information on Rev. Dongor's whereabouts.

"Once he's found, the wheels will be put in motion to bring him back," Mr. Connolly said.

Rev. Dongor, 35, was summoned to Fitchburg District Court on Sept. 9 on charges of larceny of property worth more than $250, larceny from a building and possession of child pornography.

He was released on personal recognizance.

Pinal County (Arizona) Sheriff Paul Babeu was the victim of sexual assault as a young boy in Massachusetts, an ongoing incident that forever changed the outspoken critic of Arizona's immigration policies, he told MyFoxPhoenix.com.

"I was a victim of sexual assault when I was a young boy, actually by a priest back in Massachusetts," Babeu told the website. "That was something that had a dramatic impact on me and my life."

Babeu said the abuse began at age 11 and continued for several years. He reported the abuse, which altered his views of people in positions of power.

"By somebody who is trusted and revered, someone of God, and then having leaders within the church cover it up and lie about it really awakened my sense of the world and what's right and what's wrong and how some people in positions of great trust and great honor can do bad things," Babeu told Fox.

Babeu, who served as an officer in Iraq with the Arizona Army National Guard prior to becoming Pinal County's top lawman, said the experience shaped his leadership style. Babeu said he tries to use his experience with sexual abuse as a "motivating force" to better the world.