Former Orangevale Pastor Accused of Sexual Abuse

The former pastor of Divine Savior Catholic Church in Orangevale, California is under investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department for accusations of child abuse. According to new sources, the man served as pastor of the church from 1987 to 2001. The former pastor was removed from public ministry in Milwaukee after the church began an investigation into a possible child molestation case involving two young boys from the same family.

A spokesperson from the Sacramento Catholic Diocese said, "We had heard about the Sacramento accusations earlier, but we were in the process of working it out with the family. The victims themselves weren't' willing to step forward. That has since been addressed." When parishioners heard about the accusation on Saturday, one woman said that the accusation was hurtful.

"He had been like an extended member of the family, so it hurts really deep. It's hard to believe because of the man he is," one member said, "I don't know. I don't know the personal stuff that goes on." Other members of the church said that the general public should refrain from judging the pastor until the investigation is complete.

Even still, news sources report that the church continues to encourage victims of abuse to contact law enforcement with news of the case or other incidents of abuse. "When a priest – not Father Bob – but any priest is put in a position of responsibility and authority, I think it's a little more egregious," said another parishioner.

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