Gilbert Gauthe is an American former Catholic priest who served in the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana from 1972 to 1983. In 1984, Gauthe became the first Catholic priest in the United States to face a widely publicized criminal trial for child sexual abuse.[1][2]
In 1974, Bishop Frey assigned Gauthe as a Boy Scout chaplain, even though Frey had heard allegations of Gauthe molesting altar boys.[3] In 1976, the diocese sent him away for therapy for seven months. By 1983, the diocese was receiving allegations of sexual misconduct by Gauthe from parishioners.[4]
In October 1984, Gauthe was charged with multiple counts of aggravated crimes against nature, committing sexually immoral acts with minors, aggravated rape (sodomizing a boy under the age of 12) and crimes of pornography involving juveniles, through pornographic photo sessions. He pleaded guilty by reason of insanity.[5] In October 1985, Gauthe accepted a plea bargain, pleading guilty to child pornography, crime against nature, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[6]
The diocese had settled nine lawsuits by sexual abuse victims for $4.2 million by 1985.[5] The diocese settled with the victims for more than $20 million in lawsuits involving Gauthe. Gauthe admitted to sexually abusing 37 children[7] and accepted a plea bargain in which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[8] He was released in 1995 after serving 10 years of his sentence,[8] then moved to Texas, where he was later charged with sexually abusing a 3-year-old boy.[9] He was sentenced to probation in 1997 after pleading guilty to abusing the child. He was later jailed in Galveston County between 2008 and 2010 for violating the Texas sex offender registry requirements.[10]
Gauthe's crimes were the basis for the 1990 HBO TV film Judgment.[11]
References
edit- ^ Kohn, David (June 11, 2002). "The Church On Trial: Part 1". Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ "Accused - BishopAccountability.org".
- ^ "Rev. Gilbert J. Gauthe-Assignment". www.bishopaccountability.org. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
- ^ Radio, Minnesota Public. "It all began in Lafayette | Betrayed by Silence: Chapter One". Minnesota Public Radio News. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
- ^ a b "Jason Berry, The Tragedy of Gilbert Gauthe, Part I". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
- ^ Ap (1985-10-15). "EX-PASTOR GIVEN 20-YEAR SENTENCE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
- ^ Nordheimer, Jon (20 June 1985). "SEX CHARGES AGAINST PRIEST EMBROIL LOUISIANA PARENTS". The New York Times. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ a b Depalma, Anthony (19 March 2002). "Church Scandal Resurrects Old Hurts in Louisiana Bayou". The New York Times. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Moore, Evan (October 5, 2013). "Church abuse case haunts lawyer who defended priest". USA Today.
- ^ Fiscus, Kirsten (April 22, 2019). "A life hiding as the first priest charged in the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ Clark, Kenneth R. (October 11, 1990). "Docudrama Tells of Priest's Pedophilia". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 15 May 2021.