6 Ex-Altar Boys Sue Archdiocese for Alleged Sexual Abuse in ‘70s

Six former altar boys filed separate civil suits Monday against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and a priest they allege sexually abused them in the 1970s.

The lawsuits came five months after 38 criminal charges against the priest, Father Ted Llanos, were dismissed by a Long Beach Municipal Court judge on grounds that the statute of limitations had expired. The attorney for the six men, Mark Roseman, said his clients should benefit from a less stringent statute of limitations that applies to civil cases.

Filing the suits were Scott Griffith, 23; Chris Dillon, 20; Jim Dunlap, 36; Mark King, 31; John King, 33, and Mike Winkler, 32, Roseman said. The men were between the ages of 10 and 17 when the alleged abuse occurred, during a period when Llanos, now 49, served at parishes in Long Beach, Covina, Santa Ana and Los Angeles.

Father Gregory Coiro, spokesman for the archdiocese, said Llanos remains a priest but is on “inactive leave.”

The lawsuit accused the archdiocese of failing to take steps to remove Llanos after it was notified in 1973 of his alleged misconduct. Coiro would not comment on that allegation.

Llanos’ attorney, Don Steier, said neither he nor his client had been served with the lawsuits. “The plaintiffs have chosen to go by way of press conference,” Steier complained.

Gov. Pete Wilson last week signed into law a bill that could open the door for refiling criminal charges that were dismissed last February against Llanos when the law takes effect next January. The state Supreme Court is expected to rule on the law’s constitutionality.