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Trial of priest, ex-teacher to begin in Philly

Posted January 14, 2013 6:25 am

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — A trial is expected to begin Monday for a Roman Catholic priest and a former Catholic schoolteacher accused of raping an altar boy.

It’s the second trial to stem from a landmark investigation of priest sexual abuse in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. The case was spun off from last year’s high-profile trial of a church official charged with helping the archdiocese cover up abuse complaints.

In this case, the accuser says he was abused by two priests and his sixth-grade teacher in the late 1990s. One has pleaded guilty, while the others are fighting the charges. The Rev. Charles Engelhardt and former teacher Bernard Shero are charged with sexually assaulting the boy; both have pleaded not guilty.

A jury of eight men and four women was selected last week.

Bernard G. Shero is set to go on trial on charges he raped an altar boy in northeast Philadelphia in the late 1990s. Shero has pleaded not guilty. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO/PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT

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