FEDS LOOKING INTO PA CATHOLIC CHURCH. RICO VIOLATIONS POSSIBLE
The Department of Justice has launched an investigation of child sex abuse within Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic Church, sending subpoenas to dioceses across the state seeking private files and records to explore the possibility that priests and bishops violated federal law in cases that go back decades, NPR has learned.
In what is thought to be the first such inquiry into the church's clergy sex abuse scandal, authorities have issued subpoenas to look into possible violations of the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute, also known as RICO, according to a person close to the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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The source did not elaborate on what other potential federal crimes could be part of the inquiry, which could take years and is now only in its early stages.
RICO historically has been used to dismantle organized-crime syndicates.
https://www.npr.org/2018/10/19/658686366/feds-launch-sex-abuse-probe-of-pennsylvanias-roman-catholic-church