The Accuser of Father Ray Cepeda

I wrote a post entitled The Case Against Raymond Cepeda on October 19, 2017.  The post was about the accuser whose initials are P.P.  He accused Father Ray Cepeda for sexually abusing him for 8 years from 1992-1999 at Santa Barbara Catholic Church.  

As many already know, Father Adrian has recently been accused of child sexual abuse and was told to return to Guam.  In his blog, Tim Rohr published a photo of Father Adrian and John Toves with the title, "The Moment That Started It All."  Rohr then goes on to cite a newspaper article dated October 18, 2017.  The accuser of Father Ray also accused Archbishop Apuron and Father Adrian for shunning him away and ignoring his plea for help.  So, what is Rohr implying in his post?  I certainly hope that he is not trying to take away Father Adrian's right to due process.  I certainly hope that he is not implying that the child sexual abuse allegation against Father Adrian is the reason why P.P.'s plea of help was ignored.    

According to the Pacific News Center:

But it doesn’t end there. The victim then sought help from respected authority figures within the Archdiocese, but, he claims, he never got the help he wanted. P.P. reported the abuse to now-deceased Msgr. Zoilo Camacho who told the victim to meet with Archbishop Anthony Apuron.

“During P.P.’s meeting with Apuron, Apuron told P.P. that ‘P.P. needs to pray about these types of evil in the world and that P.P. would get over it, if he prayed about it,” the complaint states.

The victim says he also reported the abuse to Father Adrian Cristobal, who at the time was the spiritual director, but according to the victim he was “shunned away.”

P.P. is seeking $5 million in damages.

Here is the problem with this accusation.  According to the alleged victim, P.P., he stated that he was sexually abused by Father Ray for 8 years from 1992-1999.  Now, here is what Tim Rohr did not know:  

According to Richard, Father Ray Cepeda: 

1.  was the Associate Pastor in Dededo from 1979-1985
2.  was Pastor of San Vicente in Barrigada from 1985-1987
3.  was Rector of Agana C.B. from 1987-1994
4.  was Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Yigo from 1994-1995
5.  Was on Sabbatical in 1996
6.  was Pastor of Santa Barbara in Dededo from 1997-2000

Many thanks to Richard, a friend of Father Ray for providing this vital information.  So, the question is.......how was P.P. sexually abused by Father Ray for 8 years from 1992-1999 at Santa Barbara when Father Ray was not at the Dededo parish until 1997?  This puts a huge dent into P.P.'s allegation. 

Furthermore, according to KUAM news dated April 23, 2010 (the bold is mine):

The Guam Catholic Church says abuse allegations against former priest Father Raymond Cepeda date back over five years. Deacon Jeff Barcinas, spokesman for Archbishop Anthony Apuron, tells KUAM News that only one victim that he knows of reported abuse by Fr. Cepeda and he says the victim was not a minor.

Barcinas says the process to laicize Cepeda took several years and required the consent of the Pope. Cepeda, a former priest at the Santa Barbara Church in Dededo, was officially removed from the clergy last December. 

"All I know from when the alleged incident was from when the incident was first reported to the Archbishop.  At that time the archbishop did take the necessary action to suspend that time Father Ray Cepeda from any ministry for whoever the victims; and whoever is affected would not be affected by his presence." 

The Archdiocese made a mistake when they laicized Father Ray for child sexual abuse because the victim was not a minor at all. The victim was an adult. That was the error, but P.P. and other accusers did not know that. This error was never corrected by the Archdiocese.  Nevertheless, people were coming out claiming child sexual abuse against someone who abused an adult..... for 5 million dollars.  

The bill, lifting the statutes of limitations, was introduced into legislation and pushed by the jungle into law.  Now you see what the jungle had done to the Church in Guam.