Tucson Diocese Sued; Abuse Alleged
May 24, 2003 | AP
Among other things, the lawsuit filed in Yuma County Superior Court says the diocese had received written complaints about the Rev. Juan Guillen concerning sexual misconduct during the 1980s but took no action to prevent him from molesting boys.
Officials with the diocese said they couldn't comment on the legal action because they haven't seen it yet.
Guillen, 59, is in Yuma County Jail awaiting sentencing on two counts of attempted child molestation. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
The legal action was filed by one of the victims in the criminal case against Guillen.
The suit says the abuse began when the victim was 10 years old and was serving as an altar server at Immaculate Conception Church in Yuma, where Guillen was associate pastor.
The lawsuit is the eighth filed against the diocese since it reached a multimillion-dollar settlement last year with 10 men who said they were abused by four members of the local cler- gy in the 1960s, '70s and '80s.
ParkerWaichmanLLP
@ParkerWaichman
parkerwaichman
parkerwaichmanllp