A teenage boy testified that a suspended Catholic priest from northwestern Pennsylvania continued to contact him and invite him to visit even after the boy’s mother objected
NBC10 Philadelphia
Tuesday, Jan 17, 2012 | Updated 3:33 PM EST
A teenage boy testified that a suspended Catholic priest from northwestern Pennsylvania continued to contact him and invite him to visit even after the boy’s mother objected.
The mother, meanwhile, testified that she continued to allow another son to visit the priest because he wasn’t lying about it and hiding the visits.
Testimony was to continue Tuesday in the trial of the Rev. Samuel Slocum. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie suspended Slocum, 60, from duties at two churches in rural McKean County after he was charged in April with corruption of minors, interference with the custody of children, concealing the whereabouts of a child and other crimes.
Slocum allegedly gave the boy gifts, as well as an iPhone and a laptop computer so the teen could stay in touch with the priest, even after his mother told Slocum to stop contacting the boy, who was 15 at the time. He was charged after she eventually complained to the diocese.
Slocum is not charged with having sexual contact with the boy, and the Bradford Era reported Tuesday that the priest’s attorney, David Ridge, told jurors during opening statements Monday that the case is about whether “Father Slocum should have used better judgment.”
“Even though he was a good priest, there were some instances where he could’ve done better,” Ridge said. “There’s no criminal intent here.”
District Attorney Ray Learn agreed the case isn’t about sexual abuse but told the jury that Slocum’s conduct from January to March last year was criminal.
The boy testified he, his brother and other friends often visited Slocum at the rectory at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church in Lewis Run, where they played pool, watched a big-screen TV and played computer games. The boy acknowledged other adults were rarely there and that he often sneaked away to visit the priest and lied to his mother.
But the boy also testified about at least one sexually vulgar Facebook message he got from the priest, who taught him how to delete the messages and told the boy, “We have to be very careful.” The boy testified receiving other messages from Slocum, including “When am I going to see you again,” “I miss you” and “I’m thinking about you.”
The boy once messaged Slocum to say he’d sneak over for a visit after his mother went to sleep. He testified Slocum messaged him back saying, “Give her some sleeping pills.”
The boy’s mother testified she objected to the visits, saying her son began lying and sneaking out of the house when he began spending nearly all his spare time visiting Slocum. The woman said she went so far as to have her son stay with his grandfather, several miles away, but found out he still sneaked back to visit Slocum at least once.
The woman acknowledged, when questioned by the priest’s attorney, that she continued to allow her other son to visit Slocum because he didn’t lie or deceive her about such visits. She added, when questioned by the district attorney, however, that the 15-year-old stopped lying and deceiving her when he stopped visiting Slocum.
Erie Bishop Donald Trautman issued a statement after suspending Slocum in April, saying while the charges against the priest “are most serious, it is my understanding there is no criminal allegation of inappropriate sexual activity. Nevertheless, I view the conduct described in the criminal complaint as devastating, if true.”
The trial was expected to continue until Wednesday.
Copyright Associated Press
I don’t understand this at all. It sounds for all the world like the one son was, at the very least, being groomed. I initially thought the mother recognized the boy’s lying as fall-out from the grooming and hence forbade that one son to see the priest. But then I read on only to learn that the mother allowed her other son to continue to visit the priest!
There really is a dire need for education of parents regarding the grooming process. That aside, I am floored that in this day and age this priest was surrounding himself with these young lads, and undermining their parents.
What do you think of the messages from priest to boy: “We have to be very careful”; “When am I going to see you again”; “I miss you”; and “I’m thinking about you”?
What the message says is NOT what some may be inclined to think ie. , it does not say that the priest ‘ likes’ or ‘loves’ the boy. It says that he ( the priest ) is horny and he would use the boy to satisfy his sexual craving if or when the boy becomes available and he reminds the boy not tell anyone about this dirty thing WE do.
For some reason or another this story has reminded me of the sad reality that one of the many reasons for pedophiles seeking out children through the priesthood is that the life style includes being provided with everything that one needs – from housekeepers to cooks – and whatever else a man might ask for.- And the greatest gift of all I think they receive is ‘ time ‘ way to much FREE ‘ time’. This nonsensical way of life has to go first in order for any change can even be negotiated , let alone realized !!!
Larry: Your depiction of a priest’s lifestyle is about 15 years out of date. Aside from the parishes in Pembroke (and perhaps a very few others) cooks, housekeepers etc. are as rare as hen’s teeth these days in rectories. We who serve outside of Pembroke cannot afford such a luxuries. As to having too much free time on our hands, may I also suggest that this is not the case as we are busy covering multiple parishes. For example, when I was ordained 23 years ago, I was appointed to Temiscaming, I was one of 10 priests in the Mattawa (Northern) zone. Now I am one of three… of which one is in his mid 70′s and enjoys poor health and the other is a blind man. Any priest in such a situation (most of us) have more than enough work to fill at least a 40 hr a week work schedule without the guarantee of any free days. I’m now on my 2nd week in a row without a day off, with no chance to have one next week as I already have funerals to celebrate at the beginning of the week.
Again Larry, I am not disagreeing with you about this priest. I’m only saying that you are a bit out of date.
Fr. Tim
I know there are exeptions ( Fr. P. Tait being one for sure ) and I may have been a little to the extreme given the fact that there are less priests and you are also to the opposite extreme , so I believe the truth exists somewhere in between , much closer to mine than yours. There are also less churches and smaller congregations. No more visiting schools ( not around here anyhow).
Larry: I am not claiming that I don’t have free time. Clearly I do or I wouldn’t be carrying on an online ministry but commenting here and elsewhere (although technology makes that far easier now than even a few years ago). But I am not wrong on the staffing issue. I have a lady who comes in the clean the house each week. Aside from that, I am on my own. It is the same for my brother priests up here – and for those in the Pontiac too (save for Fort Coulonge). The days of housekeepers and cooks is LONG gone, at least once you leave the Pembroke area.
Again Larry, I am in no way complaining. I chose this life and embrace its demands willingly and without complaint. I only am attempting to correct your understanding of the life of we priests of the Diocese.
Fr. Tim
P.S. I visit my schools, all four of them, a practice that was instilled in me by my early pastors. I think that the fact that newly ordained guys don’t get to spend at least a few years learning the ropes from an older guy is a mistake… one that is leading to guys who have not been made to be faithful to all the ministries of their parish: schools, hospitals, the sick and housebound etc. They seem to becoming rectory rats – demanding that everyone come to them for service. Sad.
The messages from the priest amount to coercion – yes – it was all leading someplace, whether or not it reached the destination. Same pattern as so many other cases: sexual predators buying favours from youth in vulnerable families. The church’s official response of ‘we must do better’ – sounds a bit like the ‘exercised bad judgment’ excuse. The boy would be totally confused – disempowered to exercise his own judgment – the gifts are all a part of this. Meant to cause confusion – and dependency. I don’t want to cast judgment on the mother, other than say yes, education is needed. It sounds to me like the mother was being cross-examined by the defense – is this another pattern we can expect, the church blaming the family? Let’s put the blame where it belongs – with the stalker himself.
Again, as a Catholic, trusting the priests is at the core of our belief system. This is very difficult to teach teenagers – those that seem good, might be bad.
May the truth continue to shine thanks to the bravery of those who speak out.
Anne you asked ” is this another pattern we can expect, the church blaming the family? ” The answer is that it has been for as long the victim has been the one to blame. Some pretty filthy stuff comes out of the mouth of victms of sex abuse and their families. Not always nice to hear.
“But the emperor is not wearing any clothes!”…exclaimed the child.
I can’t believe this priest was not grooming this lad for sexual purposes. I can hardly believe this priest was even involved like this, in this day and age of abuse problems within the Catholic Church.
He will probably be sent to Southdown for a while, before the Bishop reassigns him. Ouch……Yes, that’s a pretty cynical statement. I know. But I state it that “harshly” because I hope Bishops and clergy EVERYWHERE are reading these threads at this revealing blog.
When will the message get through? When will catholic people wake up and see what is still happening? Fr Tm, what should be done with this priest? (in your opinion).
I’m just wondering if Fr Tim can answer above, if he has time. thanks.
Mike: He should at the very least be suspended and prevented from practicing any sort of public ministry. He lacks the proper discipline to live a proper celibate life as he was obviously grooming a (future?) victim. After all, what’s wrong with him? Can he not make friends with people his own age? Why is he hanging around with kids in his rectory? Something is CLEARLY WRONG with this guy and I would hope that the Church seriously consider defrocking him. As I have said before, when it comes to protecting children, a priest cannot be given the benefit of the doubt vis a vis his intentions, especially when he acts as imprudently as his man did.
Hope this answers your question.
Fr. Tim
Yes, it does answer my question. Thankyou. And I might add that your direct approach is well said. I see your comments all over the place and I am aware that it must be very agonizing for you to read what you see in here. Whenever I hear of teachers going on strike, I still get the third degree from people who state, “Geesh….they only work a 5 hr day, get all that vacation and they still aren’t satisfied.” Of course those people never stood in front of a class of 36 sixteen/seventeen yr olds and taught, disciplined and kept the class enthralled. Well, if not always enthralled, at least educated and focused. Ok, if not always focused, then at least “humoured!!!” lol Thankgod for Friday afternoons at 3:15pm!!
But back to you. You say you have been a priest for twenty-somethinng years? And it’s been within the last 30+ years that (to me) things havebeen falling apart with the priesthood. To be a priest at a time when a site like this exposes the lifestyle of many of its priests over te last 30 years and more……and perhaps that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Yes, it must be an agonizing time. I said somewhere before on this site, that I am saddened and both angry and disillusioned with the RC Church. I really can’t believe, for example, that women are not allowed in the priesthood. They have so much to offer. But yes, there was a time they were not allowed to vote, had to wear hats in Church, and so much more in society that put them down. I remember seeing in Washington DC signs that said “Colourds Only” at drinking fountains (1961) My point?….things change and society see its faults and has to make changes. Why not the Church? But this criminal abuse of its many priests…..there is something very wrong here….and yes, it may have been happening for centuries. I tell you Fr Tm, if those “vaults are ever opened”, there will be much more scandel to come. Keep the faith. ~Mike
I also appreciate Fr. Tim’s forthright answers. (As ‘rare as hen’s teeth’ – interesting saying!).
I agree that young priests need elder mentors – they need to be taught how to serve, work, act – as part of community, not as separate entities. Though – that must be tricky too – friendship. When I grew up we always had priests in the house. It was a positive experience. We saw them as human.
I pray for strength for all who suffer from the actions of abusive priests.
I may be naive…but this one holds very little mystery. His face is full of crumbs, his shirt white with flour and milk dripping from the corner of his mouth…but he didn’t eat the cookies…
The boys are scared , humiliated…whatever but someone had a look with their eyes closed. The “investigator” had a lot of files on his hands, is himself a good Catholic…and took a shortcut. Case closed successfully!…
Don’t like my cynical side …but it is from my gut feeling, from a previous life.
Someone fell short on the homework.
My thoughts for those brothers!!
jg