NEWS & EVENTS

At a news conference Thursday in Kansas City, prominent clergy abuse attorneys will announce a lawsuit against the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph, Bishop Robert Finn and Father Shawn Ratigan on behalf of a child who is a victim of child pornography by Fr. Ratigan.  The lawsuit alleges that the Diocese and Bishop Robert Finn violated federal and state child pornography and child abuse laws when they concealed evidence that Fr. Ratigan was creating child pornography by photographing and being sexually inappropriate with young parish girls.

A 21 year-old Blaine man who says he was sexually abused at the age of 15 by his youth group leader at a Spring Lake Park church is suing its religious leaders. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Hennepin County District Court on the man’s behalf by attorneys with Jeff Anderson & Associates, names defendants Emmanuel Christian Center of the Assemblies of God in Spring Lake Park, its former youth group leader, Paul Alan Brandon, and the Minnesota District Council of the Assemblies of God. The lawsuit claims the plaintiff, referred to in the complaint as John Doe 169, was sexuall...