Posted on 05/21/2006 8:09:06 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
PRINT STORY The leader of a Maui Catholic church admitted in court he sexually abused a boy for three years. But the deal struck with prosecutors may only send the deacon to prison for a year.
Deacon James Gonsalves pleaded guilty to 30 counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of attempted first-degree sexual assault and 30 counts of third-degree sexual assault.
But under a plea agreement, the 69-year-old would only spend a year in prison, three months under house arrest and 20 years on probation.
The victim, who remains unnamed, says the abuse started in 2002 when he was 12 years old and occurred nearly every day for three years. The assaults happened at St. Ann Church in Waihee and at Gonsalves' home.
Until now the deacon has claimed innocence. When the allegations surfaced, Gonsalves had the full support of his parish.
We spoke with both lawyers this afternoon. Neither would go into detail about the plea bargain.
Gonsalves is free on $100,000 bail, but he's confined to his home. The plea agreement he struck is expected to be okayed by the judge at his sentencing July 20.
Nothing to see here. It's just another anti-catholic conspiracy. Dan Brown or the ACLU must be behind this.
This is so disgusting but perhaps real justice will prevail once the pervert is in jail.
What?
Wow, 1 year is crap. He should also be punished more than 20 years probation...
Whether it is immigration, the Duke rape case, or this sickening story, we can no longer wax grandiosely about America's system justice. If someone does get justice, it is more by chance than design. We have a very sophisticated legal where the enforcement and adjudication of the law has become the mere political whim of people pleasing cowards.
This guy should be in prison until he dies.
Dear mrhansen,
Would you be happier if he had used a condom? Your hate of the Catholic Church is so becoming!
FU,
THE KID
I think you IQ is showing
I would be a lot happier if I didn't have to open the paper every morning and read about another poor kid being nothing more than a pin-cushion in that den of iniquity you call a church.
Notice that this sort of nonsense rarely happens anywhere but the catholic church?
The old SOB shouldn't ever see the light of day. One year is pathetic.
It probably doesn't get much stupider than this statement but something tells me you can do worse.
Ok, please tell me which religion in a non-third world country has more cases of child molestation against it than the catholic church.
I'm well aware of what imams in third world hell-holes do to children, but I would hope the catholic church holds itself to a higher standard...especially here in the US.
There had been hope in some circles that this predatory homosexual would start to name names in the diocese. So much corruption here.
The judge should refuse this plea. The jury should convict and they guy should be sentenced to life without parole.
People get more time in prison for other crimes than sexual assault!
Where's the justice?
Something is wrong with this story. Aside from the act of child molestion, of course. I went through the link's archives and read the original story:
http://www.kgmb9.com/kgmb/display.cfm?storyID=5552&sid=1183
Gonsalves originally goes in kicking and screaming his innocence on these charges, then ends up plea bargaining. Guilty of 62 charges of molestation, and gets one year in jail? There's something fishy going on, imo.
I'd also like to know if there are other victims. I wonder if he was ordered to plead out by the Bishop for monetary reasons? I'm betting his lawyers were hired by the diocese, and took their marching orders from the Bishop and higher up.
Disclaimer: I am not catholic, so I have no 'axe to grind' as far as defending the catholic church.
However, basic fairness compels me to say that I don't believe that this is solely a 'catholic' problem.
Sexual abuse of children by protestant ministers
I also wish to emphasize that I think the one-year sentence in this case is an absolute travesty (and tragedy, as well).
Anyone (be they catholic, protestant, atheist, muslim, you name it) who does this kind of thing to kids deserves to rot in jail for the rest of their lives. Period.
Of course if we started hanging them there would be far fewer but that is another story.
You choose to be an anti-Catholic bigot? Fine, it's a free country but don't do so to the advantage of child molestors.
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