Two More Victims Say Local Priest Abused Them
By: Aaron Cheslock
Updated: January 29, 2013
EBENSBURG, CAMBRIA COUNTY - Two more victims say a local priest sexually abused them, and come forward after seeing reports on the news last month.
They went to the Cambria County District Attorney this week, claiming that Father George Koharchik, a local priest from Cambria County, sexually assaulted them. Elizabeth Bolton Penna, the Assistant District Attorney in Cambria County, says his title doesn't matter to them.
"Even though this is a priest, we're not prosecuting a priest, we're not prosecuting the church, we're prosecuting a person who was a pedophile posing as a priest in our opinion..."
Father George Koharchik was most recently pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Mount Union, Huntingdon County. Before that, he served in Cambria County where the abuse allegedly happened. Last month two victims reported abuse by Koharchik to the Diocese, this week, two more went to the District Attorney. Penna says there's a connection between the two men they interviewed.
"The two that we've interviewed, there is a pattern, and a way or a means that he was able to get these boys into certain situations, so that he could take advantage of them..."
As of now, no charges have been filed against Koharchik, but Penna says they're in the early stages of the investigation, and charges could be coming. The DA is analyzing birthdates to determine the statute of limitations. If the events took place more than 50 years ago, they could be out of luck. And while he may be off the pulpit, Penna knows he's also on the loose.
"The Diocese has removed him from practicing as a priest at this time, and physically where he is at this time, I don't know... We have nothing holding him anywhere, at this time, so he's free to go anywhere he'd want to go at this time."
Penna says the two older men gave very specific descriptions.
"The victims that we spoke to could give us incredible detail, some very interesting things that I believe would be very specific to this priest, things that no one outside of his intimate circle would know about him."
The men's recollections are described as vivid, which makes Penna think they're not lying.
"I cant imagine, that the detail that they have, that they could have come up with, I believe them whole heartedly, I think they are as genuine as they can come, but again, this isn't something somebody wants to admit happened to them."
The two victims that came forward told the Cambria County District Attorney that these incidents happened in the 1980's. Father Koharchik was ordained in the 1970's. So, Penna says it stands to reason that there could be more victims.
