A lawsuit was settled for $600,000 in a case in which a former priest admitted to molesting a boy in Jersey City, reports nj.com.
The former Catholic priest, a Rev. Carmine Sita who had served at the St. Aloysius Church in Jersey City was sentenced in 1983 to five years probation after his admission of guilt in a sexual assault case against a teenaged boy. He was also ordered to a treatment center for priests in New Mexico, where he spent time. After leaving the treatment center, he changed his name to Gerald Howard and was assigned to be the parish priest of Boonville, Missouri in the Jefferson City Diocese.
After becoming the parish priest in Boonville, within one year he had allegedly begun abusing another teenage boy, who is now 30 years old and living in Virginia. The abuse lasted for five years. The victim has received a $600,000 settlement for damages in the case. As the criminal priest's history was known by the both the Newark Diocese and Jefferson City Archdiocese as well as the treatment center, each organization is paying a portion of the settlement in the case. As part of the settlement, the Newark Archdiocese is working on Rev. Sita/Howard's formal removal from the priesthood. He is currently still listed on the roster of priests in the area, even though he has not been in the ministry since the mid 80's.
If you or a loved one has suffered priest abuse, it is crucial that you get help from a clergy abuse attorney. Whether the abuse occurred in the past or more recently, the legal team at the Zalkin Law Firm will assist you in your claim for compensation. You deserve it, and it can bring some closure for you.
