The decision by the former Treasury secretary and former university president follows a review that showed the nature of his relationship with the convicted sex offender.

By Susan Svrluga

Lawrence Summers will resign from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard University at the end of this academic year because of his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesman for the university said Wednesday.

Summers, a former U.S. treasury secretary and former president of Harvard, was the latest prominent figure to resign amid ongoing revelations about Epstein’s network. Summers has resigned from his leadership role at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. That resignation is effective immediately.

by Sam Borcia

A pastor at a Lake Zurich church and school who has been accused of sexually abusing minors three separate times has been permanently replaced, even as the archbishop continues to praise him.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, wrote in a recent letter to the community at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich, informing them that Father David F. Ryan would no longer be with the parish.

“I first of all want to thank you for your unwavering patience over the past few years when legal matters have required your pastor, Father David Ryan, to temporarily step away from ministry. These occasions have not been easy for you or for him,” Cupich said.

Father Steven Lanza is the current interim administrator of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish.

“At the same time, you deserve to know that there is little likelihood that the accusations against Father Ryan will be resolved within the foreseeable future. Consequently, it has become clear to me that in fairness to you, I need to provide for a more permanent leadership of the parish,” Cupich said.

The position of pastor is now vacant, allowing the parish to begin the process and search for a successor.

“Father Ryan has dedicated his life as a priest over these years since the day of his ordination and has provided exemplary leadership of your parish, which you know better than I. As you know, he has served well beyond the age of retirement established in the Archdiocese, a further testament to his dedication,” Cupich said.

“Yet, it is clear to me that it is time for new leadership so that the parish can build on the growth you have accomplished together during the years he served as your pastor. I also hope that you will see this change as a kindness to Father Ryan and continue to support him and each other as the parish moves forward into the years ahead,” Cupich added.

(NY)

EWTN News [Irondale, AL]

February 20, 2026

By Daniel Payne

The Diocese of Brooklyn knew about sexual abuse allegations against Patrick Sexton “for many years” before the bishop officially barred him from ministry, according to personnel files.

Recently unsealed personnel files from the Diocese of Brooklyn show that diocesan leaders knew explicit details of repeated sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against a priest for decades before he was officially barred from ministry.

New York Supreme Court Judge Joanne Quiñones in January ordered the unsealing of diocesan records related to Patrick Sexton, a former priest who was officially barred from ministry there in 2004 and was eventually laicized by Pope Benedict XVI.

The judge’s order was connected to a lawsuit against the Brooklyn Diocese regarding alleged abuse by Sexton.

A November 2004 letter from then-moderator of the diocesan curia, Monsignor Otto Garcia, to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (now the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith) — said that “for many years” the diocese “has had to deal with numerous allegations of sexual abuse” levelled against Sexton.

Garcia told Ratzinger — who the following April would be elected Pope Benedict XVI — that the allegations included “taking photographs of young boys disrobed, sexual touching over and under the clothes of the victim, masturbation, and oral sex.”

Sexton “admitted to a number of these allegations” and “denied some of them as well,” Garcia wrote.

The priest told Ratzinger that Sexton was “removed from priestly ministry” in 1990, though that designation appears to have been informal, as Garcia also wrote that Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio in 2004 imposed a “canonical precept” barring him from both priestly ministry and presenting himself as a priest.

DiMarzio’s 2004 edict had the result of “formalizing what [had] been in effect” since 1990, Garcia wrote.

The monsignor said that the bishop had already urged Sexton to petition the Vatican for laicization and that if he declined to do so, then DiMarzio himself would seek the dismissal. The Brooklyn Diocese lists Sexton as having been laicized in 2006.

‘He did not think that it was abnormal’

Though Sexton was officially barred from ministry in Brooklyn in 2004, diocesan officials knew of sexual misconduct allegations against him at least 25 years prior, according to the files released in January.

The unsealed personnel files, obtained by EWTN News, show documentation of accusations dating back to at least 1979.

On Sept. 6 of that year, Monsignor Anthony Bevilacqua wrote an account for Sexton‘s “confidential file” in which he relayed having spoken to Sexton about allegations that the priest “took pictures of naked boys in a shower.”

Sexton admitted to having taken the pictures of the boys while they were showering at Jones Beach on Long Island, according to the file. The boys ranged from ages 7 to 10.

Sexton “[did] not know why” he took the pictures, Bevilacqua wrote, and Sexton further said that at the time he “did not think that it was abnormal.”

Bevilacqua said he spoke to multiple police officers and two parents of the children regarding the incident. In a memorandum to Bishop Francis Mugavero, he said he would “not recommend” that Sexton be transferred from his parish; his actual recommendation to the bishop is redacted in the file reviewed by EWTN News.

‘Because it was pleasurable‘

In another entry in Sexton’s confidential file, this one dated Sept. 29, 1986, Garcia relayed a conversation he had with a boy at the diocesan chancery who alleged that Sexton had touched him inappropriately during an overnight stay at the rectory of Brooklyn’s St. Cecilia Catholic Church.

The account, in which the victim’s name is redacted, says that Sexton invited the young boy over to the rectory, during which he took a picture of him getting out of the shower and then later fondled him repeatedly.

The boy, who is identified as being 11 years old at the time of the first incident, further said that Sexton at times grabbed the boy’s hand and “tried to put them under [Sexton’s] underpants.” The boy said he experienced anger issues and declining grades in school after the incidents.

In an entry dated the next day, Sept. 30, Garcia said he spoke to Sexton, who “did not deny the allegations” but denied that his behavior was of a “sexual nature.”

Pressed as to why he would “put his hands on someone’s genitals,” Sexton responded: “Because it was pleasurable.” Garcia said the priest continued to insist that there was “nothing ‘sexual’” about his behavior.

The priest “denied that there had been other similar situations,” Garcia wrote, though he subsequently “admitted to similar actions” involving another boy.

Sexton made an appointment to see Mugavero the next day, according to the file notes. A subsequent entry on Oct. 2 says the priest met with the bishop on Oct. 1, though much of that entry is heavily redacted.

One portion indicates that some sort of action had been taken so that Sexton could “work out his problem.” The entry said Mugavero indicated that Sexton once again “did not deny any of the allegations.”

Another largely redacted entry from Garcia several months later, on Jan. 28, 1987, makes reference to a meeting the bishop had with Sexton; it is unclear if it was the meeting that took place the previous October.

The account notes that the bishop encouraged Sexton “as a brother priest, so that he may continue to develop his many positive talents.”

‘We need to speak about this’

By late 1990, it appears that Sexton had left ministry entirely; a file lists him as having taken sick leave effective Sept. 20 of that year.

In a letter dated Dec. 11, 1990, Bishop Thomas Daily — who had been installed in the diocese on April 18 — wrote to Garcia that Sexton wanted “no financial assistance” from the diocese, though he requested that his health benefits and pension both continue.

“He lives with his brother in Manhattan, and is playing the organ here and there in churches,” the bishop wrote. “We need to speak about this.”

The files indicate that accusations continued to be levelled against the priest as late as November 2000 and for alleged abuse occurring as late as 1990.

A 2004 file lists him as living “as a layman with secular employment.” He would be laicized by Pope Benedict XVI on April 7, 2006.

‘Civil accountability and transparency’

In a statement to EWTN News, the Brooklyn Diocese said it “does not comment on pending litigation” but that it “recognizes the devastating impact of sexual abuse and has and will always continue to apologize to all victim-survivors of clergy sex abuse.”

In 2004, two years before Sexton was laicized, the diocese — like many others in the U.S. around that time — implemented a safe environment program following the U.S. bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The diocese told EWTN News that it mandates sexual abuse awareness training for “all clergy, employees, and volunteers who interact with children.”

The diocese also said it performs mandatory background checks “for all seminary and diaconate applicants, as well as every clergy member, employee, and volunteer with regular contact with minors.”

Anelga Doumanian, a Seattle-based attorney whose firm is representing three of Sexton’s accusers, said the release of the files represents a “landmark” decision in U.S. courts.

None of Doumanian’s clients are represented in the allegations found in Sexton’s files, she said. The lawsuit that led to the release of those materials was filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, which allows victims to sue alleged abusers past the standard statute of limitations.

Doumanian argued that the files will show “the diocese either knew or should have known that Sexton was a danger to, or likely to sexually abuse, children.”

She said the judge’s order signals an important milestone for abuse victims seeking justice in court.

“The moment that you have a lawsuit in a courtroom, that is now open to the public,” she said. “The public has access to the courtroom. The diocese is using terms like ‘confidential documents,’ but that doesn’t discount the openness of courts.”

Ultimately, the release “makes it clear that institutions — whether it’s a religious institution or otherwise — are subject to civil accountability and transparency” in court, Doumanian said.

A trial date in the suit against the Brooklyn Diocese will be set at a future date, the attorney said.

https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/brooklyn-diocese-knew-of-sexual-abuse-allegations-decades-before-priest-was-barred-from-ministry

By Mike Catalini

TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey Catholic diocese this week agreed to a $180 million settlement to resolve allegations of clergy sexual abuse, a figure far exceeding agreements in some large dioceses but still dwarfed by other massive settlements.

Bishop Joseph Williams of the Diocese of Camden, covering southern New Jersey and its Philadelphia suburbs, announced the settlement Tuesday in a letter.

“For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve,” Williams said.

Mark Crawford, state director of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, said in a phone interview Wednesday that the settlement was long overdue but he was glad the ordeal was coming to an end. He praised the bishop for listening to survivors and for pledging transparency, contrasting him with his predecessor, who fought a legal battle over a state investigation into alleged clergy abuse.

“This settlement and this bishop have acted very differently,” Crawford said. “I hope it sends a message that this is possible, that this is right.”

Greg Gianforcaro, one of the attorneys representing victims suing the diocese, credited survivors’ persistence in reaching the agreement. The diocese has said there are about 300 survivors of abuse raising claims.

“It’s been an extremely long and arduous battle,” he said in a phone interview.

It’s the latest agreement in a scandal set off more than two decades ago when the scale of the abuse and the church’s effort to hide it came to light in Boston. The New Jersey settlement agreement is more than the roughly $80 million settlements in Boston and Philadelphia, though settlements in California ranged much higher. In 2024, the Los Angeles Archdiocese agreed to an $880 million payment.

The Camden settlement comes less than a year after the diocese withdrew its objection to the state of New Jersey’s grand jury investigation into decades of alleged sexual abuse of children by religious. The state Supreme Court has since ruled the state’s investigation could move ahead.

The Camden diocese, like others nationwide, filed for bankruptcy amid a torrent of lawsuits after the statute of limitations was relaxed.

In 2022, the diocese agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle allegations involving clergy sex abuse against some 300 accusers, one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic church in the U.S. The latest settlement announcement includes these funds, according to victims’ attorneys.

The diocese of Camden covers six southern New Jersey counties outside Philadelphia. The agreement must still be approved by a bankruptcy court.

Catalini writes for the Associated Press.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-02-18/new-jersey-catholic-diocese-agrees-to-180-million-settlement-of-clergy-sexual-abuse-allegations

By Chris Glorioso

In an effort to keep Father Patrick Sexton’s personnel files hidden from the public, attorneys for the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn originally argued that unsealing the documents would violate the Church’s First Amendment right to free practice of religion. A judge disagreed.

A former altar boy, suing over alleged clergy sex abuse, says newly unsealed priest personnel files prove the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn is misleading the public about its prior knowledge of pedophile priests.

David Ferrick, now 57, says Patrick Sexton, a defrocked priest, molested him on multiple occasions in 1979 and 1980 when Father Sexton helped run the parish at St. Cecilia Church in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.  Ferrick’s lawsuit, one of several filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, claims the Diocese was aware of Father Sexton’s pedophilia tendencies and yet failed to protect children in his presence.

In its official response to Ferrick’s lawsuit, attorneys for the Church denied its leaders “knew or should have known that Father Sexton was a known sexual abuser of children.”

But last month, the judge overseeing a separate lawsuit involving Sexton, ordered many of the former priest’s personnel files be unsealed.  Some of those files show high-level Church officials expressing knowledge of sexual misconduct allegations as far back as 1979, the very same year Ferrick says Sexton began fondling him.

“They’ve been exposed. Documents have been released,” Ferrick said. “The information is there that this happened.”

One of the unsealed documents, dated Sept. 6, 1979, and marked “Confidential,”  describes an internal discussion in which Fr. Sexton admitted to a high-ranking monsignor that he “took pictures of [four boys] naked in the shower” at Jones Beach.

“He does admit that it was an irresponsible act,” the monsignor wrote.

In another letter, dated Nov. 2004, a top administrator of the Brooklyn Diocese wrote that the sexual abuse allegations against Sexton “began shortly after he was ordained to the priesthood” in May of 1977. That letter was addressed to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in April 2005, about five months before Ratzinger would be elected in a Vatican conclave to become the next pope — Pope Benedict XVI.

According to a post on the Brooklyn Diocese website, it was in April of 2006, about a year into his papacy, when Benedict  “laicized” Father Sexton — meaning the accused priest’s clergy status was revoked.

When asked how the Church claimed — in court — to be unaware of sex abuse committed by Sexton, while at the same time possessing documents confirming Sexton took photos of naked boys in 1979, a spokesperson for the Diocese, declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

“The allegations in this case date back nearly fifty years ago,” wrote Adriana Rodriguez, the Diocese of Brooklyn Director of Communications. “Since then, the Diocese has taken many actions to ensure the protection of children, including mandating sexual abuse awareness training for all clergy, employees, and volunteers who interact with children.”

An attorney for Patrick Sexton did not respond to requests for comment via email and phone. In sworn depositions, Sexton has denied ever having sexual contact with children, though he admitted to taking the pictures of nude boys at Jones Beach.

In an effort to keep Father Sexton’s personnel files hidden from the public, attorneys for the Diocese originally argued that unsealing the documents would violate the Church’s First Amendment right to free practice of religion.

But Judge Joanne Quinones disagreed, noting that some of the documents were newspaper clippings that had already been widely disseminated about alleged priest misdeeds.

“Sealing is not proper where disclosure would merely result in embarrassing allegations being made public … or damage to defendants’ reputations,” Quinones wrote in her order forcing the files to be made public.

Anelga Doumanian, the attorney for Ferrick, said she believed the decision to unseal Father Sexton’s records would be the first of many orders to make priest personnel files public on court dockets across New York.

“This decision is the first of its kind in the Child Victims Act litigation, and it paves the way for the hundreds and hundreds of other cases like this one,” Doumanian said. “The Diocese of Brooklyn has fought aggressively to keep these documents away from the public.”

Last week, Bishop Robert Brennan sent a letter to Brooklyn Catholics, announcing the Diocese wishes to hire a neutral mediator to resolve approximately 1,100 clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed under the Child Victims Act. The letter said the church leaders were “cost-cutting and setting aside significant funds to compensate victim-survivors, adding that a global financial settlement could “avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials.”

Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney who has represented clergy sex abuse plaintiffs worldwide, including 25 plaintiffs in Brooklyn, called the mediation announcement “a step in the right direction” but added that “the settlement program must be without delay, uncomplicated, and fair.”

Doumanian was more critical, calling the proposed mediation plan a “PR stunt,” intended to distract from the priest’s personnel files that are being unmasked in court.

“Now, just as cases are finally moving forward and the truth is coming to light, they are attempting to pull the rug under survivors once again by announcing a global resolution that doesn’t exist,” Doumanian said. “This is a pseudo-offer at best, and survivors won’t be fooled.”

By Carl Campanile

The Brooklyn Diocese has agreed to negotiate a “global” settlement to compensate 1,100 people who accused priests and staffers of child sex abuse — a figure that will likely run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

The payouts for these cases—90% of which date back more than 50 years to the 1960s and ’70s — will be a huge financial blow to the diocese, forcing it to unload real estate to raise the settlement money.

“To facilitate this global resolution, the Diocese is cost-cutting and setting aside significant funds to compensate victim-survivors,” Bishop Robert Brennan said Thursday in a “Dear brothers and sisters” letter to the church faithful.

“The process of marshalling these funds entails difficult financial choices, but the Diocese is committed to fairly compensating all meritorious claims,” Brennan said, adding that the payout cash will not come from parishioners.

“The funds used to make these settlements, and future ones, have not and will not come from your donations to the Diocese or from your parish offerings.”

Brennan said the diocese’s lawyers have spoken with the top attorneys representing hundreds of victims to begin the settlement process.

“We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims, and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials,” Brennan said.

“As our global resolution process moves forward, we continue to pray for the victim-survivors, their families, and all others impacted by sexual abuse.”An attorney at one of the law firms representing more than 200 clients suing the Diocese over the alleged sex abuse welcomed the announcement, but said actions speak louder than words.

“The Diocese’ announcement offers promise but action is what counts,” said Trusha Goffe, a lawyer with Jeff Anderson and Associates.

Survivors have suffered for decades from “protracted litigation and scorched earth tactics,” Goffe said, adding she hoped the Diocese would offer settlements to address the “tremendous harm” caused by predators assigned to or employed by the church.

“The announcement today by Bishop Brennan to pursue a global resolution of remaining clergy sexual cases is a step in the right direction only it helps survivors or victims gain a degree of validation,” said attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who represents 25 Brooklyn victims and who helped bring the clergy sex abuse scandal at the Archdiocese of Boston into the national spotlight more than two decades ago.

“Bishop Brennan must understand that clergy sexual abuse survivors, for good reason, do not trust the Catholic Church or its leaders,” Garabedian said. “Accordingly, the settlement program must be without delay, uncomplicated, and fair.”

The diocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, which began in 2017, has already paid over 500 victim-survivors more than $100 million.

In 2018, four men who were sexually abused by a teacher at a Catholic church in Clinton Hill reached a $27.5 million settlement with the Diocese and a local after-school program.

The men were all repeatedly raped as kids by Angelo Serrano, the former director of religion at St. Lucy’s-St. Patrick’s Church, between 2003 and 2009.

The Brooklyn Diocese — which also includes Queens and serves 1.3 million Catholics — retained the firms of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Anderson Kill P.C., and Alvarez & Marsal as legal and financial advisers for the massive new settlement.

The parties have agreed to tap retired Los Angeles Judge Daniel Buckley and lawyer Paul Finn as neutral mediators to facilitate the resolution process. Finn has mediated hundreds of sex abuse claims brought against the Archdioceses of Boston and Milwaukee.

Buckley mediated a global settlement of sex abuse claims filed against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He has also recently been engaged to resolve the Child Victims Act claims filed against the neighborhing Archdiocese of New York.

The archdiocese in December agreed to negotiate a settlement to compensate 1,300 people who accused priests and lay staff members of child sex abuse — and is raising $300 million to cover the cost.

The Archdiocese of New York — which includes Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx and the northern suburbs — also is battling in court with its insurer, Chubb, over payments to alleged sex abuse victims.

Other Catholic dioceses, including Albany, Rockville Centre and Rochester, filed for bankruptcy protection under the crush of sex abuse claims.

The New York Child Victims Act of 2019 allowed child sex abuse survivors to bring a civil lawsuit against abusers and institutions that protected them until the survivor reaches the age of 55. It also opened a one-year window for child sexual abuse victims of any age to bring lawsuits for abuse that occurred even decades ago.

Hundreds of suits were filed against the Brooklyn Diocese under the law.One of them accused Rev. Patrick Fursey O’Toole, Friar Rudolph Manozzi and Brother Julio Ortiz of engaging in “unpermitted sexual contact” with altar boys dating back to the 1950s, according to court documents.

The Diocese last year defrocked a priest who led parishes for decades following an investigation into child sexual-abuse claims dating back to the 1980s.

The Diocese said it substantiated accusations of sex abuse against the Rev. Michael McHugh, a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Astoria.
McHugh was permanently barred from all ministerial duties and no longer lives in church housing.

His name was added to the Diocese List of Credibly Accused Priests.

— Additional reporting by Peter Senzamici

by Della Harper

An explosive scandal rocking the exiled Tibetan community strikes at the heart of the power surrounding its spiritual leader. Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama’s trusted nephew and private secretary, faces multiple internal whistleblower accusations of systematic sexual exploitation, misappropriation of aid funds, and attempts to monopolize the process of HHDL’s succession. The allegations, contained in disturbing chat logs, accuse him of using faith to exploit at least 25 girls, leading to a public marital breakdown with his wife.

These allegations intertwine with recent controversies sparked by U.S. Epstein case files, painting a startling picture of moral collapse among the exiled elite. As the 90-year-old HHDL enters his twilight years, this scandal is not just about individual alleged crimes; it threatens to ignite a brutal internal war over his vast religious and political legacy.

The Fall of the ‘Gatekeeper’: From Spiritual Aide to Accused Predator

Tenzin Taklha is no ordinary aide. As the Dalai Lama’s nephew and private secretary, he plays the role of ‘gatekeeper,’ controlling access to the aging spiritual leader. Whistleblowers allege he has turned this position into a personal fiefdom. “He is a de facto autocrat,” wrote one anonymous whistleblower in materials provided. The list of accusations is staggering:

Sexual Exploitation: Accused of exploiting young women’s devout faith in HHDL to induce them into explicit online sexual conversations and exchange nude photos. He allegedly boasted of having relations with 25 girls. Last year, Tenzin Taklha’s wife, Tsering Dolkar, publicly accused him of adultery and domestic violence, shattering his carefully cultivated image as a family man.

Financial Abuse: Accused of diverting humanitarian aid funds intended for the Tibetan cause to purchase luxury properties in the United States, among other personal expenses.

Trading Secrets: Allegedly shared HHDL’s private health information, undisclosed travel plans, and the meeting information with senior Indian officials in private chats, raising serious concerns about compromised Indian government security protocols.

The Shadow Over ‘Ganden Phodrang’: Corruption Reaches for the Reincarnation

Most alarmingly for the Tibetan community, Taklha’s influence is alleged to have penetrated the very heart of the Dalai Lama’s succession process. He is a key member of the Ganden Phodrang Trust, responsible for overseeing the sacred and sensitive process of identifying HHDL’s reincarnation.

It was for this reason that 32 members of the Tibetan Youth Congress in North America angrily petitioned last summer for his expulsion from the foundation. They warned that his “unchecked power” was poisoning the process, potentially manipulating the outcome for factional gain and creating catastrophic division within the Tibetan world.

The Fragility of Exiled Democracy and the Leader’s Silence

This crisis hits at a paradoxical point in the Dalai Lama’s life’s work: he successfully built an exiled democratic government, but failed to constrain the power of those closest to him. After withdrawing from politics in 2011, executive power was transferred to the elected Sikyong and parliament. Yet, the office of HHDL remains a ‘state within a state,’ operating without democratic oversight, with Taklha as its master.

For years, the Dalai Lama has faced criticism for his handling of sexual abuse scandals within Tibetan Buddhism. As early as 1993, he learned from Western monks about allegations against prominent lamas like Sogyal Rinpoche, but initially took no strong public action. It wasn’t until 2017, under immense public pressure, that he publicly criticized Sogyal Rinpoche. Visiting the Netherlands in 2018, he met with survivors, acknowledged knowing about the issue for decades, and promised reforms.

Now, as corruption and sexual abuse allegations point directly to his relative and most trusted lieutenant, the silence from the Dalai Lama and his office is deafening. For millions of Tibetans and their supporters who see him as a symbol of freedom and morality, this silence has become an answer in itself.

Anger and despair permeate the community. A scholar of Tibetan issues lamented, “The exiled community must confront the systemic flaws in its spiritual leadership, or it will lose all credibility.” With Beijing poised to exploit any weakness, this scandal, which began with allegations of sexual exploitation and corruption, is rapidly escalating into a battle for the survival of the exiled Tibetan cause itself.

Disclaimer

Important Notice and Disclaimer

This article is published strictly for informational, analytical, and public-interest discussion purposes only. It references allegations and claims circulating in the public domain, including on social media platforms, blogs, and third-party commentary.

The publisher does not assert or confirm the truth of any allegations mentioned. All individuals named are presumed innocent, and no claims cited have been proven in a court of law or confirmed by credible investigative reporting.

If any individual or organization believes that information contained in this article is inaccurate or misleading, they are encouraged to contact the publisher for review, clarification, or correction.

CLEVELAND (OH)
WKYC-TV, NBC – 3 [Cleveland OH]

February 11, 2026

By Annabelle Childers

The woman claiming she was sexually abused as a teen by a former church worship director, testified Wednesday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

A 27-year-old woman testified for hours Tuesday in the trial of a former Cleveland area church worship director accused of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.

In March 2025, Andres Andino, 60, was indicted on two counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and one count of rape. At the time of his arrest, he had been working as director of worship at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Parma Heights, as well as part-time at St. Joseph Parish in Avon Lake, in addition to a number of other volunteer positions for churches and groups across the Diocese of Cleveland.

Andino maintains his innocence, claiming he viewed the victim as the daughter he never had and never touched or treated her inappropriately.

WARNING: This story contains disturbing allegations of sexual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

The alleged victim took the stand and laid out a timeline of her relationship with Andino, detailing how she said their interactions evolved from music lessons to sexual abuse.

The victim told the court she first met Andino as a sixth grader, when he served as school choir director at St. Anthony of Padua in Lorain. She testified that they grew closer after she asked him to give her piano lessons.

During those private lessons, the victim claims Andino began patting her on the back and letting her hold his hand. When she reached high school, she claims he started touching her sexually in the Cleveland music studio he owned before ultimately having sex with her in 2013.

She testified that before it happened, Andino said, “I can’t take advantage of you. You’re 15 years old.”

The alleged sexual encounters continued multiple times a week until the victim went to college, she said, adding that Andino told her he loved her and made her feel special. She said she worried that if she told anyone what happened, he wouldn’t like her anymore.

Over the years, as she confided in college friends, she said she began to view their relationship differently. In 2024, she decided to come forward to police after receiving a Google meeting invite from Andino.

Both the prosecution and defense questioned the victim about nearly 5,500 messages exchanged between her and Andino between 2016 and 2018. Andino frequently picked up the victim from her house for lessons and church events, and many conversations document those exchanges, according to testimony.

In 2018, the victim claims she stopped responding to Andino. Cuyahoga County prosecutors shared the final text messages he sent her on Sept. 25, 2018: “Your mom showed me a video of you playing at your last recital. You are amazing. I’m so proud of you, I almost started crying in front of your parents. I miss you so much and think of you all the time.”

The women, by then an adult, did not respond. Andino texted again two days later: “You don’t have to respond, I know things change.” He went on to write, “My feelings never have and never will change for you. I will be there for you if you ever need me, sweetie.”

As the woman described the alleged sexual acts, Andino appeared visibly distraught, at times shaking his head and whispering to his defense attorney. His lawyer tells 3News Andino will take the stand in the trial, and that the jury will also hear testimony from Andino’s wife and multiple character witnesses.