Published: August 15, 2007 11:10 pm      

Prison seeking new chaplain after priest sex scandal

CRESSON — A Franciscan priest became chaplain at State Correctional Institution-Cresson about six months before he allegedly began having sexual contact with an inmate.

The Rev. Gerard M. Connolly was hired on March 16, 2006, through a contract the state had with his Franciscan order, prison spokeswoman Rebecca Reifer said Wednesday.

Connolly lost his job at the lockup Jan. 16, she said.

State police allege that the sexual encounters – approximately five of them – began Sept. 8 and continued into January.

The inmate, William Victor, who allegedly was paid $7,600 in “hush” money by the priest, said the incidents took place during counseling sessions with Connolly in the prison chapel.

Substitute priests have been offering Mass for inmates while prison officials work with the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese to find a replacement chaplain, Reifer said.

Reportedly, the abuse came to light after prison officials questioned Victor about a money order that had been sent to his account in January. The prison then called in state police and Cambria County District Attorney Patrick Kiniry to investigate.

State police allege that the priest sent money orders to Victor and to the inmate’s friends and relatives to keep the illicit encounters secret.

Victor – who now is charged with extortion – allegedly told the priest that he had tape-recorded one of the incidents and would make that information public if Connolly did not provide money, food and other items.

In addition to working as a prison chaplain, Connolly has been pastor of Mount Carmel Church in Altoona.

He earlier served as pastor of St. Anthony’s Church in Windber and then later at St. John the Baptist Church in Northern Cambria Borough. St. John’s has been closed and now is part of the Prince of Peace congregation.

Connolly is charged with 12 counts of institutional sexual assault and five counts of taking contraband – allegedly alcohol for Victor – into the prison.

Victor is serving a sentence ranging from 42 years and nine months to 861/2 years for sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint and trying to rob her and her husband at a Pocono Mountains resort.

The Oklahoma couple were on their honeymoon in 2001 when Victor, posing as a TV repairman, entered their room with a gun and told them he was going to rob them, the Pocono Record newspaper reported.

He forced the woman to tie her husband with shoelaces and then assaulted her in the sauna while holding two guns to the back of her head.