Abominations

Jurors Deliberate in Predator Priest Case

A DuPage County jury began deliberating this afternoon in a civil trial for the first member of the clergy in Illinois to face possible commitment if deemed too dangerous to be set free. The Rev. Fred Lenczycki, 63, was due to be paroled in May 2006 after serving part of a five-year prison term for fondling three Hinsdale altar boys decades ago. But a month earlier, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett filed a legal petition seeking to have him civilly committed under the state's sexually violent person's act. The Roman Catholic priest has been housed since then in a secured state treatment facility in downstate Rushville, near Springfield. In all, Lenczycki admits inappropriately touching as many as 30 boys, ages 9 to 17, at six churches in three states for 25 years until 1999. Read more...

Posted by Editor at March 19, 2008 06:05 PM