81岁前神父承认在巴尔的摩一所学校性侵男童：判三年缓刑、五年监管缓刑
位于马里兰州巴尔的摩市的马里兰州总检察长办公室11月4日宣布，现年81岁、住在康涅狄格州 Putnam 的 Laurence LaPointe 已就上世纪70年代中期在巴尔的摩 Gilman School 性侵一名男童一案认罪，并已被判刑。此案由马里兰州总检察长办公室主导调查。
11月4日，LaPointe 在巴尔的摩市巡回法院法官 Charles H. Dorsey III 面前，就一项四级性犯罪和一项普通法袭击罪认罪。法官判处其三年监禁、全部缓刑，并处五年监管缓刑。缓刑条件包括：不得与18岁以下未成年人直接接触，不得在涉及18岁以下未成年人的教育场所做志愿者或工作，不得与受害人接触，并须接受性心理评估、遵循评估建议的治疗。
法庭在认罪听证会上陈述的事实显示，LaPointe 当时是诺威奇教区的天主教神父，被临时派到 Gilman School，担任随校神父和宗教教师。约在1976年至1977年间，他邀请当时在该校就读中学的那名学生到他位于体育馆上方的一处校内住所下棋。在那里，他说服受害人玩"脱衣棋"，并在其卧室内抚摸受害人的生殖器。他告诉受害人，这是两人之间的特殊秘密、不要告诉任何人。案发时 LaPointe 三十岁出头，受害人还只是一名中学生。
受害人出席了认罪听证会，并发表了一份受害人影响陈述。他谈到自己在公开这段经历时内心的挣扎，并表示："我对隐私的渴望，再也压不过我希望看到他被问责的渴望。"他还说："我希望他今天的认罪，是一个更大得多的诚实与问责过程的开始。"陈述的结尾说："今天，在近五十年之后，他行为的重负以及他造成的持久伤害，终于从我身上转移到它本该属于的地方。从今天起，承担他对一个无辜孩子所做之事的重负，是 Laurence LaPointe 的责任。"
法官 Dorsey 对受害人及所有性侵受害人表示同情，并对受害人说，希望他在发表这份陈述之后，那些记忆"不再束缚你"。
总检察长 Anthony G. Brown 说："那些在孩提时代遭受性侵的人，在成年之后很久仍继续背负那份创伤的重负。无论过去多久，我们都会帮助幸存者卸下这份重负，并追究任何滥用信任地位、对我们的孩子造成如此毁灭性伤害的人。"
Brown 还感谢了刑事司司长 Katie Dorian、有组织犯罪组组长 Paul Halliday 以及负责起诉此案的助理总检察长 Ashley Pamer 和 Jennifer Matteson，并感谢高级调查员 Richard Wolf 和前分析师 Kayla Kress 在调查中的工作；他特别感谢了民事证人和受害人的配合，帮助案件取得这一结果。
Former Priest, 81, Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Boy at Baltimore School in 1970s: Suspended Three-Year Sentence, Five Years' Supervised Probation
BALTIMORE, Maryland - Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced on November 4 that Laurence LaPointe, 81, of Putnam, Connecticut, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for sexually abusing a young boy in the mid-1970s at the Gilman School in the city of Baltimore. The investigation was led by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.
On November 4, 2026, LaPointe pleaded guilty before Judge Charles H. Dorsey III in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to one count of fourth-degree sex offense and one count of common-law assault. Judge Dorsey sentenced LaPointe to three years of incarceration, all suspended, and five years of supervised probation. The conditions of supervised probation include that he have no direct contact with minors under the age of 18, not volunteer or work in any educational setting involving individuals under the age of 18, have no contact with the victim, and undergo a psychosexual evaluation and follow any recommended treatment.
Facts presented in court during the plea hearing established that LaPointe, who was a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Norwich but was temporarily assigned to Gilman School during the mid-1970s, was a chaplain and religion teacher at Gilman. In approximately 1976-1977, LaPointe invited the victim, who was a middle school student attending Gilman, to LaPointe's on-campus apartment over the gymnasium to play chess. While there, LaPointe convinced the victim to play "strip chess." During the game, LaPointe fondled the victim's genitalia in LaPointe's bedroom. He told the victim that it was a special thing between the two of them and the victim should not tell anyone about it. LaPointe was in his early 30s at the time of the offense, and the victim was a middle schooler.
The victim was present in court for the guilty plea and delivered a victim impact statement. In his statement, the victim discussed the dilemma he had with disclosing the abuse and his decision to come forward, saying, "My desire for privacy could no longer outweigh my desire to see him held accountable." He also said, "I hope his admission of guilt today marks the beginning of a much larger process of honesty and accountability." The victim concluded by saying, "Today, finally, after nearly fifty years, the heavy burden of his actions and the lasting harm he has caused, passes from me to its rightful place. From this day forward, it is Laurence LaPointe's obligation to bear the weight of what he did to an innocent child."
Judge Dorsey expressed empathy for the victim and all victims of sexual assault, telling the victim that he hoped that, now that the victim had delivered his statement, the memories would "no longer hold you in bondage."
"Those who were sexually assaulted as children continue to carry the burden of that trauma long after they reach adulthood," said Attorney General Brown. "No matter how much time passes, we will help lift that weight off survivors' shoulders and hold accountable anyone who abuses a position of trust to inflict such devastating harm on our children."
In making the announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked Criminal Division Chief Katie Dorian, Organized Crime Unit Chief Paul Halliday, and Assistant Attorneys General Ashley Pamer and Jennifer Matteson, who prosecuted the case. He also thanked Senior Investigator Richard Wolf and former Analyst Kayla Kress for their work on the investigation, and especially thanked the civilian witnesses and the victim for their cooperation.
来源：马里兰州总检察长办公室
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：巴尔的摩市巡回法院所在的 Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. 法院大楼。Smash the Iron Cage 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse in Baltimore, home to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. By Smash the Iron Cage, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
