N.Y. Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse Is Working at Another Parish
A priest placed on leave after allegedly molesting a boy at a parish in 1997 is working at another church, it was disclosed Tuesday.
The priest, the Rev. Henry Mills, is accused in a lawsuit of giving then-17-year-old Luis Guzman alcohol and engaging in sex acts during “counseling” sessions from 1992 to 1995. Guzman is seeking more than $100 million in damages.
Mills, who denies the accusations, is assigned to St. Elizabeth Church in Manhattan, where he celebrates Mass but does not teach at the parish school, said Msgr. Gerald Walsh, the church’s pastor.
Mills was placed on leave from the Bronx parish after the lawsuit was filed and underwent counseling.
Mills’ lawyer, Joseph A. Marra, called the abuse allegations “nothing more than a grab and a play for money.” Mills has counter-sued for defamation of character and emotional distress, Marra said.
Disclosure of Mills’ duties, first reported by the New York Post, came after a policy change. The archdiocese said abuse allegations will be forwarded to authorities if church leaders find probable cause and if the alleged victim consents.
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