Deceased Orlando Priest Still Accused of Sexual Acts

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando has on multiple occasions been the target of a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse of a child by a priest decades ago. The suit accuses the diocese of neglect for allowing an abusive priest to have contact with children, and of concealing the priest’s actions to prevent a public scandal. Born in 1964, Miami man John Doe No. 86 alleges that he was molested in the Orlando area by the Rev. Lawrence Redmond in about 1974, at the age of nine or ten. The suit says Redmond was in charge of a summer sleep away camp for boys called Camp San Pedro when he met the boy and singled him out to accompany him on trips to the St. Johns River and invited him to spend the night at Father Redmond’s cabin at Camp San Pedro. Doe was to keep Father Redmond’s act of sexual abuse a secret. Father Redmond Redmond allegedly coerced other boys to keep silent as well. Doe feels his encounter with sexual abuse hindered him in living a good life. The suit was filed Oct. 3 and seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000. This is not the only accusation Father Redmond has had against him. Since 2005, the Orlando diocese has paid out more than $5 million to settle suits alleging sexual abuse by clergy. Doe’s suit is at least the 15th abuse lawsuit filed against the diocese in that time. Redmond will not be in attendance because he died in 2006 at the age of 69. Do you think Doe will have a shot at winning when the molester is dead and the event occurred about 36 years ago? For more information go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-sex-abuse-lawsuit-catholic-diocese-20111021,0,7048814.story.