Now, the Truth comes out

Witness tells child abuse inquiry he lied in many of his allegations

Ottawa Sun web extra

29 June 2007

By CP

CORNWALL — A list of names of area men purported to comprise a “clan” of pedophiles began to crumble like a falling house of cards Thursday at a public inquiry probing the institutional response to allegations of systemic sexual abuse.

Ron Leroux said several names on a list of priests, police officers, lawyers and businessmen he has claimed to have witnessed sexually assaulting young boys don’t belong there.

“That’s why I’m here today — to set the record straight,” said Leroux. “I’m taking the blame for some of this mess.”

Outside the hearing, a lawyer for the Alexandria-Cornwall Roman Catholic Diocese said Leroux’s testimony is proof there is no foundation to many rumours of a clan of pedophiles having operated in this eastern Ontario city.

David Sherriff-Scott said the community has long been held captive by the existence of this list of prominent people alleged to be pedophiles, claims these men gathered together to both abuse young children and “control” the situation and Leroux’s allegations he’d witnessed the “spectre of dark, ritual abuse” of young boys.

“(These) are three things that have gripped the collective conscience of this community,” said Sherriff-Scott. “These things have now been shown to be false and this is extraordinary ... for the community.”

Many of the names Leroux said don’t belong on the list are those of area priests the man has claimed in the past he saw in the company of Ken Seguin, a deceased probation officer or Malcolm MacDonald, a deceased Crown attorney. Both Seguin and MacDonald have been alleged to have sexually assaulted young boys.

Seguin committed suicide in 1994 before any charges were laid against him, while MacDonald died in Florida several months after being charged with a number of sex-related offences by a provincial police investigation called Project Truth.

Leroux also testified he never used the phrase “clan of pedophiles” and couldn’t understand why it would appear in affidavits he’s signed in the past.

“Those words — `clan of pedophiles’ — those words didn’t come from me,” said Leroux. “I didn’t orchestrate this.”

During testimony Wednesday, Leroux suggested former city police officer Perry Dunlop and his lawyer, Charles Bourgeois, added comments to Leroux’s statements without his knowledge.

On Thursday, Leroux conceded he may have actually provided the two men with the information contained in the statements.

“I might have told them I saw it,” Leroux said of statements he’s alleged to have made about witnessing a group of prominent men performing bizarre sexual rituals involving young boys.

Leroux also confirmed he went on to repeat the statements to investigators and never once told them portions were inaccurate even though he knew the allegations could harm those he named. “

I had a lawyer with me,” said Leroux, referring to Bourgeois. “He said, `Just read it. Just do it.”’

Leroux also said Dunlop’s wife, Helen, asked him to stick to his story when testifying before the commission.

Helen Dunlop told him during a telephone conversation sometime in the past year he should testify at the inquiry and that he should not stray from the things he’s said in the past, Leroux said.

“She asked how I was doing and she asked if I was going to testify,” said Leroux. “She told me not to change my story.”

Leroux also claimed he was approached by Steve Parisien, another member of The Victims Group, who provided him with contact information for the Dunlops and suggested he give them a call.

Parisien is facing obstruction of justice charges related to an incident which occurred earlier this year at the inquiry.

Parisien has vehemently denied the allegations and is scheduled to go to trial Sept. 4.