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Presbyterian minister accused of sex abuse

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-church15.html

Presbyterian minister accused of sex abuse

May 15, 2002

BY ART GOLAB STAFF REPORTER

A lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges a Presbyterian minister sexually abused young boys at a Ukrainian Village youth ministry for at least nine years during the 1990s.

The suit charges that the Rev. Douglas R. Mason compelled "multiple minors" to participate in sexual abuse sessions while he worked as director of the San Marcos Youth Ministry, 2028 W. Augusta.

During these sessions, Mason would compel the minors to have sex with each other as well as himself, while Mason sometimes made videotapes or photographs, the suit alleged.

Before, during, and after the abuse, Mason provided alcohol and cigarettes to the minors, which he bought with church credit cards, according to court papers.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago was also named as a defendant because some of the minors received scholarships from the Presbyterian Church to attend St. Gregory High School in Edgewater, a Catholic institution.

Officials of the Presbyterian Church could not be reached for comment. The Chicago Archdiocese declined comment.

Attorney Devon Bruce, who filed the suit, said Mason was teaching ninth grade in Florida.

While in school at St. Gregory, court papers allege, Mason would pull the boys out of classes in order to abuse them, contrary to school rules requiring parental consent for students to leave the grounds.

"It's our position that at the very least it would be negligent to allow someone to take a child out of the school without the parents consenting to it," said Bruce's associate, Joseph A. Power Jr.

The boys were mostly between 11 and 13 years old and the abuse occurred between 1990 and 1997, said Power. "They trusted this fellow and they were obviously taken advantage and abused," Power said.

He said he filed the suit on behalf of four young men, including one who allegedly was abused in 1997.

The abuse reportedly took place in the basement, pastor's office, attic and residential section of the Youth Ministry, as well as a Youth Ministry van, the suit alleged.

The suit said Presbyterian church officials should have known what was going on.

"He bought alcohol with church credit cards, he abused them in the church property for many years. They certainly should have known what was happening," said Power.