Woman: ‘Helpless, Trapped’ At Rectory With Abuser

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia trial witness has described feeling “helpless and trapped” as a 13-year-old because a priest was fondling her at the rectory where she worked.

The woman says she was later told he was fondling her younger sisters. She earned $5 on weekends to cook for priests in about 1970.

She says she remains deeply wounded.

The woman is testifying on the fourth day of the child-endangerment trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy in Philadelphia.

Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for allegedly failing to remove predators from ministry. The priest the woman spoke about isn’t part of the criminal case.

Defense lawyers say Lynn took orders from the archbishop.

Earlier Thursday, jurors heard about a priest who admitted he sexually assaulted three boys in one year alone.