Here is a great article that compiles every single grand jury allegation against pedophile priests in Allentown Pennsylvania. There are nearly 600 cases in this area. There are so many examples of these priests being allowed to continue to be around children or given retirement benefits, or being let go by law enforcement, that it is obvious that there was a systemic cover up going on for decades.

https://archive.is/mcAT5

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2018/08/here_are_the_grand_jury_allega.html

Every single one of these cases that I have read so far are extremely disturbing. Here are a few examples:

Edward Graff

Graff ministered across the Diocese of Allentown from April 1955 until February 1992, after which he served in dioceses in New Mexico and Texas until 2002.

Graff's absence from ministry related to child sexual abuse "was coded as sick leave and retirement," by administrators, the report states: "Additionally, child sexual abuse was often minimized with terms such as familiarity, boundary issues, or inappropriate contact."

Several victims brought their claims of years-old abuse to the diocese after Oct. 4, 2002, when Graff was arrested in Texas for sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy. (Graff died in a Texas prison less than two months later.)

The grand jury heard from the family of one of Graff's victims who had died, of an addiction to painkillers, the report states.

"Graff had raped Joey," the report states. "During the violent assault, Graff had borne down on Joey's back with such force it had damaged his back."

Thomas J. Benestad

The victim was 9 years old when the abuse began. The victim said that his first memory of happened when he attended CCD classes at St. Bernard's, where Benestad was assigned. The victim had worn shorts to CCD which was against the rules. The victim was told that wearing shorts was not proper attire and that not wearing proper attire was sinful. The victim was told to get on his knees and start praying. Benestad unzipped his pants and told the victim to perform oral sex on him. The victim did as he was told. Benestad also performed oral sex on on the victim. The victim recalls that, after the abuse, Benestad would produce a clear bottle of holy water and squirt it into the victims mouth to purify him.

The district attorneys office found the applicable statute of limitations had expired and no charges were brought against Benestad. Additional complaints were brought against Benestad, who has denied all accusations. The diocese elected to rely on Benestad's word rather than the word of the victims and the determinations of law enforcement. No attempt was made to remove Benestad from ministry. Benestad was granted retirement, resides in Boca Raton, Florida and assists with a local parish.

David Connell and Timothy Johnson

The victim reported that he was sexually abused by a Carmelite priest named Jim Connell and physically abused by a Carmelite brother named Timothy Johnson while attending Nativity High School. The victim stated that his family's house had burned down and the Carmelites had taken him and his brother in and had them live in a priory. The victim remembered drinking juice that Connell gave him and his next memory was waking up in his own bed naked, with Connell in the room. The victim had no memory of the prior evening but, on waking, he was bleeding from his rectum. On another occasion Connell made him tea and after drinking it he began to get a bad headache. The victim reported he was then sexually abused by Connell.

The victim went on to report that he went to Brother Johnson for help and told Johnson about the abuse he had endured at the hands of Connell. The victim told Johnson he was also going to report the abuse to police. Johnson told the victim not to report the abuse to the police but the victim insisted on reporting. At this point Johnson began to severely beat the victim with a big leather belt and told the victim that, if he reported the abuse to the police, he would beat him even worse. The victim reported that the victims brother was also abused by Connell but that his brother never spoke about it.

Johnson was later ordained a priest and was living in retirement in Florida before he died in 2016.

Edward George Ganster

A victim reported that, when he was 14 years old and an altar boy at St. Josephs, he was fondled and groped by Father Edward George Ganster. On one occasion Ganster dragged the boy across a living room floor, pulling him by the underwear. Ganster also beat the victim repeatedly, once using a metal cross. The victim made a second report to the diocese in March 2004. The diocese did not report the abuse until 2007.

In 2005, the mother of a second victim reported to the Diocese that her son was sexually abused in 1977 by Ganster, when the victim was 13 years of age. The victim told his parents that Ganster hurt him and got in bed with him. He also stated that something happened in the confessional.

In 2015 the mother of a third victim contacted the Diocese and reported that her son had been abused by Ganster in 1977 when he was 12 years old.

Ganster was eventually laicized at his request. As he was in the process of being laicized Ganster wrote the diocese indicating he would be seeking employment at Walt Disney World and hoped to use the Diocese as a reference. In a letter to the Bishop of Orlando, Norbert Dorsey, from the Bishop of Allentown Thomas Welsh, Welsh told Dorsey that Gansters problems "were at least partially sexual and led to my decision that I could not reassign him." Despite knowing Ganster was a sexual predator, Monsignor Mutone responded to Gansters request for a reference by writing "I am quite sure that the Diocese will be able to give you a positive reference in regard to the work you did during your years of service here as a priest." With the reference, Ganster was hired by Walt Disney World and continued to work there for the next 18 years.