<p>Former priest John Geoghan, a notorious pedophile whose case sparked the clergy molestation scandal of the past 18 months, died this afternoon after being attacked at the state prison in Shirley.</p>
<p>The matter has been referred to the Middlesex County District Attorney Martha Coakley's office.</p>
<p>Geoghan was serving a nine-to-10 year sentence at MCI Shirley for allegedly groping a boy at a Waltham swimming pool.</p>
<p>More than 140 people have claimed they were abused by Geoghan, claiming they were fondled or raped at locations ranging from church rectories to their own homes.</p>