Horrifying report details sexual abuse of at least 166 children as young as five by 43 priests in Colorado over the past 70 years - with one boy branded 'evil' before being subjected to 'ritualistic acts' and another told 'this is what God wants' (8 Pics)

At least 166 children were sexually assaulted at the hands of Roman Catholic priests in Colorado over the last 70 years, a new report has revealed, with shocking details of decades of abuse.

As many as 43 clergy allegedly committed abuse since 1950 in which a 'culture of secrecy' was fostered among the archdioceses in which 'reputations of offending clergy' were placed 'over the welfare of children'.

The figures disclosed on Tuesday in an investigative report far exceeded the scope of the scandal previously documented in the state.

One of the priests named in the report, Father Harold Robert White, abused at least 63 children over 21 years and was described as the 'most prolific known clergy child sex abuser in Colorado history'.

The youngest victim was a five-year-old girl who was raped by a priest visiting her school in Pueblo, Colorado, who told her she would be committing a mortal sin if she reported the attack. 

Another alleged victim was driven to kill himself by the years of abuse he endured at the hands of one priest and detailed his suffering in a suicide note. 

Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila apologized to the victims in a video message posted online after the report was published.  

Samuel Aquila, archbishop of the Denver diocese of the Roman Catholic Church (left) heading to a news conference in February. Yesterday a report released showed that at least 166 children had been sexually abused by Catholic priests in Colorado since 1950

One of the priests named in the report, Father Harold Robert White, abused at least 63 children over 21 years and was described as the 'most prolific known clergy child sex abuser in Colorado history'

The scathing 263-page report, presented by former US Attorney Robert Troyer, accused the Archdiocese of Denver and the Dioceses of Pueblo and Colorado Springs of fostering a culture of secrecy that placed the reputations of offending clergy and church leaders over the welfare of children.

'This dynamic in the Colorado Dioceses was a severe impediment to the protection of children, and it is one [they] are not done addressing', the independent report said.

Sabbaticals, hospital or military chaplaincies and other transfers for vague conditions referred to as 'tensions' were frequently used as a cover for dioceses to move a priest when allegations of sexual abuse were first made, the report said. 

White, who died in 2006 at the age 73, served in six parishes from 1960 until he was removed from ministry in 1993. 

In relation to the allegations against White, the report states: 'When he had sexually abused enough children at a parish that scandal threatened to erupt, the Denver Archdiocese moved him to a new one geographically distant enough that White was not known there.'

White was never placed on restricted ministry or sent for a psychiatric evaluation, and he never underwent an investigation, the report says. 

One victim was called a liar and ostracized in his school after reporting abuse to arch diocese authorities, while others were told to conceal White's 'problem', the report stated.   

During the 1960s, Father John Beno allegedly abused at least two girls, the first being five years old at the time. 

A report was made in 1995 and the diocese received the second allegation in 2005, several years after Beno had died. 

A financial settlement was reached between the Pueblo Diocese and the first victim. 

Archbishop Samuel Aquila (front) watching in February as a plan was revealed to have a former federal prosecutor review the sexual abuse files of Colorado's Roman Catholic dioceses in Denver. Yesterday, as a damning report was published, he apologized to the victims 

St Mary's Catholic Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which comes under the Denver Archdiocese 

Most of the abuse took place decades ago, although one case found to be 'arguably still viable for prosecution' has been referred to authorities for further criminal investigation, the review said. The alleged offender was not identified. 

Father Robert Banigan allegedly groomed and sexually abused an altar boy, aged just six, in 1961.

He told him 'this is what God wants' and that the devil would 'get him' if he did not cooperate, according to the report. 

The case was recently reported to the Colorado Attorney General's Office and the Denver Archdiocese, but it is not known if the abuse was being investigated by the archdiocese.

Also named in the report was Father Thomas Barry, who allegedly sexually abused a 16-year-old girl in the early 1970s. 

The case was first reported to the Denver Archdiocese in 1973 when the victim's mother wrote to the Denver Archdiocese stating her daughter was living with Barry 'off and on' and that the priest was 'having an affair' with her daughter. 

But it 'appears the Denver archbishop either failed to document or ignored Victim #1's allegation of child sex abuse when it was brought to his attention in 1973', the report author wrote.

Barry's faculties or ministry or access to children was not restricted and the Denver Archdiocese did not report the abuse to police.

The abuse took place long before Colorado law mandated abuse of minors had to be reported to police in 2002.

Father John Holloway was also named in the report as having groomed six victims during the early 1980s.

He allegedly raped one boy of between 11 and 13 as many as 50 times during 'ritualistic sex acts carried out at motels in which he told the victim he was evil and that his evil must be removed through these sexual rituals if he wanted to go to heaven.  

The boy was raped around 50 times, the report stated, as Holloway performed 'ritualistic sex acts' on him in motels during the early 1980s. 

The priest told him he was evil and that his evil must be removed through these sexual rituals if he wanted to go to heaven. 

When the most recent Holloway child sex abuse allegation was reported in 2017, the Denver Archdiocese assured the Vatican that the allegation was not substantiated, after making no effort to investigate it, the author wrote. 

Father Neil Hewitt was defrocked in 2018 after allegedly admitting seven of the eight incidents of child sex abuse described in the report when interviewed by investigators. 

He was described as a serial sexual predator by the report, who used alcohol and pornography to groom his victims. 

Hewitt 'targeted' boys in their early teens and would take them camping and on other 'road trips' to get them from other adults, the report alleges. 

The document goes on to claim that one of Hewitt's victims was driven to suicide as an adult, writing in his suicide note of the abuse he endured from Hewitt as a boy and how during the abuse he was 'scared to death and afraid to move'.

It described 'tremendous guilt of going to hell' and the loss of his religion and faith in God.

Hewitt's sexual abuse of children as a priest ended when he voluntarily left the priesthood in 1979.

The special report featured a warning on the front page stating it contained 'graphic and disturbing accounts of the sexual abuse of children'  

Colorado AG Phil Weiser gave details of the special report published on Tuesday into child abuse among the Catholic clergy of Colorado

In documenting the church's failure to protect its youth from predators, the report cited the example of one now-deceased Denver-area priest, George Weibel, who investigators concluded had molested at least two girls under the guise of teaching them to swim or ice skate. 

One victim reported the abuse to another priest, who failed to notify church superiors because he was good friends with Weibel, according to the report commissioned by the state attorney general's office.

'He did not report it to Denver Archdiocese authorities, and he did not even record her [victim] report until years later. As a result, the Denver Archdiocese did not take any action against Weibel,' the report said. 

The Denver Archdiocese may have erroneously believed that if an allegation was made in a public lawsuit it did not have to report the case to police, as it was mandated to do after 2002, the report said.  

The report's release came eight months after the three dioceses agreed to open up their personnel files to Troyer's team of investigators and set up a compensation fund for victims.

In a statement following the release of the report, Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila apologized to the victims, but said his words could not ease their suffering.

'I am sorry about this horrible history - but it is my promise to continue doing everything I can so it never happens again,' Aquila said.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser outlining the Catholic church abuse investigation during a press conference at the AG's offices on Wednesday

Titled 'A Solemn Promise', the archbishop added: 'A year ago I made a promise that the Archdiocese of Denver would not hide from the past and must face the historical sexual abuse of minors by its diocesan priests. 

'We should be comforted that the investigation that spanned seven decades has been thorough and is transparent. 

'We must face the past and learn from it and we must know if our children are safe today. This was not an easy task for anyone involved. The report is very difficult to read, but I said without reservation we would openly share his [former US Attorney Robert Troyer] report and adopt his recommendations.'

The US Catholic Church has paid out more than $3 billion to settle such claims since clergy sexual abuse exploded as an international scandal in 2002, when the Boston Globe first reported on priests molesting children and church leaders covering it up, according to the website BishopAccountability.org, which tracks the issue.

The Colorado report said that of the 166 known victims, the 'vast majority' were boys, and most were between the ages of 10 and 14.

In 2008, the Denver archdiocese paid out $5.5 million to settle 16 abuse claims, including those against one priest, since deceased, who victimized at least 63 children.

In a statement, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) urged Colorado lawmakers to pursue legislative action to help prevent abuse and ease statutes of limitations that have barred many victims from coming forward with claims of past abuse.

Priests from the Archdioceses of Denver and Pueblo named in the new report

The report presented by former US Attorney Robert Troyer, named 40 of the 43 priests accused of sexually abusing children over seven decades at the Archdioceses of Denver and Pueblo in Colorado.

Archdioceses of Denver: 

Father Leonard Abercrombie (status not known) - allegedly abused 18 boys

 The investigation found 'strong circumstantial evidence' that the Denver Archdiocese knew Abercrombie was sexually abusing children as early as 1962. The scope of his crimes is not fully known, according to the report. 

Father Charles Brown (retired priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe) -  allegations made by one boy

His alleged abuse of a 13-year-old boy began when Brown ingratiated himself with the boy's family, and the sex assaults began on a ski trip

Father Rafael Jairo Calle (not known) - allegations made by two boys 

Father Timothy Evans (Incarcerated in the Colorado Department of Corrections) - three alleged victims

Evans was sentenced to 14 years to life, two years to life and four years for charges including sexual assault of a child, assault of a child by a person in a position of trust. He allegedly sexually abused three boys from 1990 to 1995.

Father Edward Fraczkowski (dead) - allegations made by one girl 

The victim reported abuse to the Denver Archdiocese in 2015 but it did not report the alleged abuse to police and or conduct an investigation 'presumably because Fraczkowski was already dead', the report author said.

Father Harold Robert White (dead) - 63 alleged victims

Father George Weibel (dead) - two alleged victims

Father Robert Banigan (not known) - allegations made by one boy

Father Neil Hewitt (defrocked in 2018 after allegedly admitted abusing seven of the eight known victims during an interview) - eight alleged victims

Hewitt allegedly abused at least eight boys between the early 1960s and when he voluntarily left the priesthood in 1979 to marry an adult woman he had a relationship with. The Denver Archdiocese received a report about the abuse in 1992 but didn't report it to law enforcement.

Father John V. Holloway (dead) - six alleged victims 

Father Delisle Lemieux (dead) - one alleged victim 

Father John J. McGinn (status unknown) - one alleged victim

McGinn allegedly abused an eight-year-old girl in the late 1950s or early 1960s

Father Francis Pettit (dead) - one alleged victim 

Father James Rasby (not known) - allegations made by two boys 

The Denver Archdiocese 'did nothing' in response to the first report of abuse in 1975, the report stated. 

Father Leonard Scezney (not known) - allegations made by one girl 

Father John Harley Schmitt (dead) - two alleged victims 

Denver Archdiocese reported one victim's allegations of sexual abuse to the police in 2011 but did not report the second allegation law enforcement.

Father Lawrence St. Peter (dead) - allegations made by three boys 

Father John Stein (dead) - three alleged victims 

Denver Archdiocese responded to Victim #3's alleged abuse by sending their legal counsel to try to convince law enforcement to drop the charges the report said. This was a second offense reported to the archdiocese, Stein served a mandatory one-year-to-life sentence in prison.

 Father Robert Whipkey (not known) four alleged victims  

Whipkey allegedly walked around naked in front of four boys at a camp in 1998. He was sent to therapy for a year, but still allowed to continue in the ministry without restrictions. He was later arrested in Boulder for indecent exposure.

Father Thomas Woerth (retired and living outside Colorado) - one alleged victim

Father William Martinez (unknown) -allegations made by two boys

After an investigation in the 1988, the diocese concluded that the allegations consisted of abusing two boys amounted to 'a great deal of hearsay and speculation but nothing of substance we can or should act on'. 

Father Thomas Barry (dead) - allegations made by one girl

Father Joseph Bosetti (dead) - allegations made by one boy 

Archdiocese of Pueblo:

Father John Beno (dead) - two alleged victims 

Beno abused at least two girls in the 1960s, with the first victim being five years old at the time. A financial settlement was reached more than 10 years later.

Father Delbert Blong (retired in 1991 and died in 1999) -  six alleged victims

When his alleged abuse became the subject of national media attention after his last victim sued, the Pueblo Diocese made efforts to heal victims and families and conducted a thorough investigation, but never consider calling the police, the report said.

Father Leo Bonfadini (unknown) - one alleged victim

The report states the diocese used 'an inappropriate standard of proof' in closing the case, adding that it found child sexual abuse accusations unsubstantiated unless a priest admitted to them or there was another witness 

Father Walter Buetzler (died in 1988) - one alleged victim 

Father Andrew Burke (voluntarily defrocked in December 1973. He died by suicide in 2005) - three alleged victims

The report said that the diocese: 'Knew for years that Burke had a manifesting psychosexual disorder, ordained him anyway, and transferred him into contact with [the three victims] as a way of 'solving' the precise behaviors his disorder caused.' 

Father Michael Descoise (unknown) - allegations made by one boy

Father William Gleeson (unknown) - allegations made by one boy 

Gleeson allegedly sexually abused an altar boy and student in Gleeson’s rectory bedroom after grooming him and another boy with a road trip and alcohol. 

After agreeing to sleep over at the rectory following the road trip and drinking, the first victim awoke in the middle of the night with Gleeson on top of him, aggressively rubbing on him. Before that night, Gleeson also tried to grope the same boy in the school hallways, the report details. 

Father William Groves (unknown) - allegations made by three boys 

Father Michael J. Krol (unknown) - allegations made by three boys

According to the report, the Pueblo Diocese did not investigate the sexual abuse claims, instead confronting Krol, who fled the state. 

Father Daniel C. Maio (dead) - two alleged victims

Both victims first reported the incident to the Pueblo Diocese in 2010 and filed a lawsuit against the Pueblo Diocese, the investigation found.

Father Philip Marin (died in 1976) - allegations made by one girl 

Father John Martin (dead) -  allegations made by one boy

Father John A. Haberthier (dead) - four alleged victims

Haberthier was an extern priest in the Pueblo Diocese from 1977 for less than four years, during which time he groomed and sexually abused at least four boys by buying them expensive gifts, as well as taking them to the movies and out for burgers and milk shakes, the report alleges. 

Father Gary Kennedy (undergoing investigation) - one alleged victim   

Father Clifford A. Norman (status undetermined) - allegations made by one boy

Norman allegedly told the 12-year-old boy not to tell anyone and threatened that if he told his father Norman would bar his father from participating in parish activities. 

The boy stopped the sexual abuse by faking illness during Mass so he could leave the church before Norman got to him., the author said 

Father Joseph Reade (dead) - two alleged victims

Father Lawrence Sievers (voluntarily defrocked in 1973) - one alleged victim