For the first time ever a jury has found a Catholic official guilty in a sex-abuse trial.
Today, a jury found Monsignor William Lynn guilty of one felony count of child endangerment. He was acquitted on charges of conspiracy and a second count of endangerment.
Lynn, 61, faces a maximum sentence of three-and-a-half to seven years in prison.
The jury deadlocked on charges against the Rev. James J. Brennan, Lynn’s codefendant. Brennan faced charges of attempted rape and child endangerment.
After the jury gave the verdict, Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina revoked Lynn’s bail and remanded him into custody.
Lynn will remain in custody until his sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 13.
In a press conference Friday afternoon, District Attorney Seth Williams said he had not decided if he will seek to retry Brennan or add new defendants.
Williams called the trial historic in that it pursued a member of the Catholic Church hierarchy who had not personally assaulted a child, but instead was guilty of endangering them.
Williams also thanked the jury for its service and said the verdict would help ensure “something like this never happens again.”
“They never denied what the grand jury alleged — that they knew of the abuse and of the active attempts to hide it,” Williams said. “They merely denied they bore the responsibility for those decisions.”
Another priest, William Avery, was also charged in the case. Before the trial, Avery pleaded guilty to rape and conspiracy charges; he is now serving a two-and-a-half to five-year sentence.
The jury deliberated for 13 days in the last three weeks before reaching a verdict.
Almost 20 victims testified about abuse during the 11-week trial, which concluded June 1.