Two more Seattle priests dismissed from clerical state for sex abuse

SEATTLE — Two priests from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle have been laicized, or dismissed from the clerical state, because of child sex abuse allegations, Seattle Archbishop Alex J. Brunett said Monday.

George Barry Ashwell and David P. Jaeger, both 62, had already been removed from public ministry while the archdiocese awaited word from the Vatican on their fate.

Jaeger's laicization was voluntary; he admitted in the mid-1990s that he inappropriately touched a 13-year-old boy at a youth camp in 1978. Ashwell had denied inappropriately touching boys in his care.

In all, three priests from the Seattle Archdiocese have now been laicized, a process that can only be completed by the Vatican. The other is John Cornelius, who served in the Seattle Archdiocese from 1975 to 2002 and was defrocked by the Vatican last fall. More than 20 men lodged sexual assault complaints against him.

Another four have been permanently removed from ministry, but not laicized. Those include James McGreal, who abused dozens of boys from the 1960s to the mid-1980s.

The archdiocese is awaiting word from the Vatican on disposition of three other cases.

In December 2004, the archdiocese agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle 12 claims of sexual abuse; one of those claims concerned Jaeger, while the rest involved McGreal.

Jaeger served as a parish assistant at St. Joseph in Vancouver from 1969-72, and at Immaculate Conception in Everett from 1972-75. Jaeger held several administrative assignments for the archdiocese, then worked as a minister to AIDS patients from 1990-2002, when he was placed on administrative leave.

Ashwell served as an assistant in several parishes in the archdiocese and was pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Oak Harbor from 1978-2000.

In 2001, he was named pastor of St. Aloysius, in the Pierce County town of Buckley, before being placed on administrative leave in September 2001.

Ashwell was a state-licensed foster father to at least five children on Whidbey Island between 1980 and 1993. One accused him of sexual abuse and settled with the Seattle Archdiocese in 1996.

Another man made similar allegations regarding a weeklong stay with the priest.

In a 2004 interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Ashwell vehemently denied the allegations.

"It wasn't my bright idea," Ashwell said of foster parenting, when contacted by the newspaper at his Whidbey Island mobile home.

He said the parish council decided that it made sense to take in needy boys because the rectory had so much extra room.

"I again express my deep regret for any harm to victims of clergy child sexual abuse and extend my personal apology to them and their families," Brunett said.

The archdiocese has agreed to pay at least $18 million to settle sex abuse claims. Those costs have been covered by insurance.