PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A high-ranking church official accused of transferring sexual-predator priests to unwitting parishes is testifying in his own defense in a groundbreaking Philadelphia clergy sex-abuse trial.
Monsignor William Lynn gave jurors a slight smile as he took the stand Wednesday. He has detailed for them his first parish assignments before taking a seminary leadership position in 1984.
Lynn is the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged for allegedly helping the church bury abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he failed to weed out two priests charged with sexually assaulting teen boys. One of the priests has pleaded guilty, and the other is on trial with Lynn.
Several of Lynn's colleagues have testified in his defense, saying Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua called the shots.
Bevilacqua died in January, before the trial began.
