Wyoming’s Former Roman Catholic Bishop Faces Another Sex Abuse Suit

The Roman Catholic church has been taking heat for years over sexual abuse cases involving church officials. Wyoming's former Roman Catholic bishop now faces yet another sexual abuse charge. Joseph Hart allegedly abused a Missouri man when he was a child growing up in Kansas City.

When child abuse occurs it sometimes takes years for the issue to come to a head. The accusation comes from a Missouri man who was apparently abused by Hart between 1975 and 1976 at St. Regis Church in Kansas City, MO. Hart was Wyoming's bishop for more than 20 years and previously faced sexual abuse accusations from 5 other people.

The lawsuits involving the 5 prior accusations were settled in 2008 for $10 million. A total of 12 clergy members were involved in that lawsuit. In regards to Hart's latest accusation the chancellor of the Diocese of Cheyenne stated that they will cooperate with any investigation.

The New York Times reported that "For more than two decades, the Catholic Church has grappled with a series of clergy sexual abuse scandals and lawsuits. The cases have cost an estimated $2 billion in settlements and have shaken the faith of many of the church’s members. Still more have expressed outrage with the church leadership, which has responded by making significant changes in its disciplinary procedures but often by characterizing the attention to the cases as an attack on the church."

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Information courtesy of The Associated Press of Wyoming.