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CNN Live At Daybreak

Massachusetts Court Sets Bail for Defrocked Roman Catholic Priest Paul Shanley

Aired May 08, 2002 - 06:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A Massachusetts court has set bail for defrocked Roman Catholic priest, Paul Shanley. He pleaded innocent to three charges of child rape.

Our Jason Carroll has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) charges, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pleas of not guilty will be entered on your behalf.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is at the center of the priest scandal. Father Paul Shanley faced the court and was charged with three counts of child rape. Shanley turned and nodded to his family and friends, who sat in the front row. Then the deputy district attorney graphically detailed allegations Shanley took a young boy out of catechism class and sexually abused him.

LYNN ROONEY, DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The rectory, the confessional and in the bathroom of the rectory. And in those places, he would digitally penetrate his anus. He would perform oral sex on the child and require the child to perform oral sex on him. Again, this occurred on a weekly basis. The child was repeatedly told if you tell anyone, no one will believe you.

CARROLL: The abuse allegedly happening between 1983 and 1990. Deputy D.A. Lynn Rooney asked the court to set bail at $750,000, saying Shanley is a tremendous flight risk.

ROONEY: The reasons for that, Your Honor, within documents that have been provided to our office by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston indicate his intention to hide his address and to relocate outside of this country.

CARROLL: Rooney gave the court the church documents, which she said showed Shanley had interest in going to Mexico and recently had traveled to Thailand. Shanley's attorney argued his client isn't a flight risk at all. FRANK MONDANO, SHANLEY'S ATTORNEY: This is a 71-year-old man, Your Honor, who is in not the greatest of physical health, who has no inclination to run, no wherewithal to run, that has absolutely no criminal record at all in the 71 years of his life. He is here to face the charges, Your Honor.

CARROLL: Newton district court judge, Dyanne Klein, did not buy the defense's argument and set bail at $750,000. Klein also saying, if Shanley could post bail, he would have to agree to surrendering his passport, and not having contact with children under 16 years old. Sitting behind Shanley's supporters during the proceeding was the family of one of Shanley's alleged victims.

KEVIN O'TOOLE, ALLEGED VICTIM'S BROTHER: And I felt him look me right in the eye, and I think he recognized us. He knows that our family is behind putting him away.

CARROLL (on camera): Shanley does have supporters. Some of his former parishioners are in his corner. They did not want to talk to us, but one said simply, "Shanley is innocent until proven otherwise."

Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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