Priest faces more
claims of abuse

Roberto DeOtero was accused
of child molestation while
he was a Navy chaplain

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By Mary Adamski
madamski@starbulletin.com

A Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse by two Hawaii men was removed from public ministry because of a child molesting allegation while he was a Navy chaplain, according to the church.

Darick Agasiva and Fa'amoana Purcell filed suit yesterday against the Rev. Roberto DeOtero, claiming he engaged in sexual contact with them in 1985 and 1986 while they were altar boys at St. John the Baptist Church in Kalihi.

The priest allegedly kissed the boys and touched their genitals, according to the lawsuit filed by attorneys Michael Jay Green and David J. Gierlach. The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, also names the Honolulu Catholic Diocese as a defendant.

A diocese spokesman said DeOtero has not lived here since 1987.

"We didn't know about these victims until this suit was filed today," Patrick Downes said.

Soon after Bishop Francis DiLorenzo took office here in 1993, he ordered DeOtero removed from public ministry because of the Navy complaint, Downes said.

He said the diocese has begun investigations into three other allegations made in recent months about local priests. A fourth allegation has been brought to the diocese, he said. All four surfaced in the wake of allegations of pedophile priests and church cover-up in Boston, a scandal that has extended to several other cities.

Downes said DeOtero, now a California resident, remains on the Hawaii roster and "is considered on leave. The diocese remains responsible for his livelihood." The only support he receives is medical insurance.

According to local diocesan records, DeOtero:

>> Joined the Hawaii diocese in 1984, transferring here from Portland, Ore. He lived here for a couple of years before that.

>> Left in 1987 on personal leave and became a military chaplain in 1989. "It was his choice to leave," Downes said.

>> Left the Navy in 1993 because of alleged sexual misconduct with a minor.

>> Was removed from public ministry by DiLorenzo later in 1993. After his removal, DeOtero "lived in a convent and said Mass for nuns for several years in California," Downes said.

DiLorenzo acted to remove four priests involved in sexual misconduct that occurred before his tenure began, and DeOtero is one of them, Downes said. The diocese has declined to reveal details of those cases.

The attorneys for Agasiva and Purcell said their clients had repressed the memories of the molestation until recent national publicity.

The law requires that a lawsuit be filed within two years after a minor reaches adulthood, but courts have allowed that limit waived in instances of repressed memory.

The men are now in their mid-20s, live and work in Hawaii, and have remained friends since their altar boy days, he said.

"They (the plaintiffs) had to do some soul-searching" before filing because they consider it "humiliating and degrading" to be identified with the abuse, Gierlach said. They struggled with concerns of their "devout Catholic families," he said. "Their goal is to put a light on this and help stop it."

Green said, "We have information that there are more (victims of molestation)."

Another attorney in the law firm representing the plaintiffs said they are preparing to advertise seeking others with similar molestation experiences, but first must consult with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.