JOHNSTOWN, Pa.—Three leaders of a Franciscan religious order allowed a friar who was a known sexual predator to take on jobs, including as a high school athletic trainer, that enabled him to molest more than 100 children, according to a grand jury report released Tuesday.
Giles Schinelli, 73; Robert D'Aversa, 69; and Anthony M. Criscitelli, 61, were successively the provincial ministers of a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in western Pennsylvania from 1986 to 2010. In that role, each had the power to assign and supervisor the order’s members.
Each was charged with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of children. All three now live outside Pennsylvania, and prosecutors said their arraignments would be scheduled in the coming days.
The order says it will issue a statement later Tuesday addressing the accusations, and a message was left with a lawyer for the organization. It’s unclear where the three men live and whether they have attorneys who could comment on the charges.
“These men knew there was a child predator in their organization, yet they continued to put him in positions where he had countless opportunities to prey upon children,” said Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who announced the charges.
