Group seeks suspension of Yakima bishop over child porn case

Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla should suspend himself without pay for at least a month after admitting he hired a man under investigation for viewing child pornography, an advocacy group says.

Leaders of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said the request Thursday in a letter to Sevilla was the first time the group has asked a bishop to suspend himself.

Sevilla apologized Tuesday for hiring Juan Jose Gonzalez Rios, 37, of Cowiche, in 2003 and of failing to inform pastors and other church employees about the child pornography probe. "It wasn't a good hire," the bishop said.

On Thursday, however, he said it would be impractical for him to go on leave because of his responsibilities to the central Washington diocese.

"I would like to thank SNAP for their concern for the healing of victims of sexual abuse and for the protection of children and youth, both of which are very important to me as well," Sevilla said in a news release. "I have already taken full responsibility for my serious error in judgment in hiring Mr. Gonzalez and the lack of proper follow-up."

The Rev. Robert M. Siler, diocesan chief of staff, said the bishop will soon express his regret about the matter to parishioners during Masses in Cowiche and Yakima, and the diocese is hiring a private investigator to interview young people who attended classes that Gonzalez taught.

The episode has been another black eye for the diocese, which has paid about $1.25 million to resolve sexual abuse claims involving seven priests.

Robert Fontana, a local member of Voice of the Faithful, a group advocating reforms in the Catholic Church, said the bishop should do as SNAP requested, "and then he should invite an independent investigation of the incident."

Fontana was the diocesan director of evangelization from 1991 to 2005, when he resigned over complaints that Sevilla was mishandling abuse and child pornography cases.

Sevilla hired Gonzalez to work at the St. Peter Retreat Center in Cowiche in April 2003, two months after Gonzalez was dismissed from the Mount Angel Seminary in Mount Angel, Ore., because of pornography that reportedly was found on his computer.

The bishop said he viewed the matter as an isolated episode, didn't pursue the matter and never was told that an arrest warrant accusing Gonzalez of four felony counts of encouraging child sex abuse was issued in Salem, Ore., in 2005.

Gonzalez was arrested March 19 following a traffic stop in Tieton. He remained in the Yakima County jail Friday with bail set at $80,000 pending an extradition hearing April 22. His lawyer, J.J. Sandlin, has said he will fight the charges and prove his innocence in court.

Sevilla has said Gonzalez was hired to work with adults, adding that he learned only recently that his duties had expanded to teaching youth classes at parishes in Cowiche and Yakima.

David Clohessy, national director of SNAP, told the Yakima Herald-Republic by telephone that the bishop had been secretive, reckless, deceptive and "outlandish."

"From the beginning, Sevilla shouldn't have hired Gonzalez until the criminal matter had been resolved," Clohessy said, "but if he wanted to take chances with children's safety, which of course is not ideal, at least be up front about it and inform the police and the parish about the charges."

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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com