James Talbot (rapist)

James Talbot, SJ is a former American Jesuit priest, teacher, and coach who was convicted of raping multiple students over a period of several decades.

Abuse

In the 1970s, while serving as a hockey, soccer, and wrestling coach as well as a history teacher at Boston College High School (BC High), Talbot was accused of rape and other charges of sexual misconduct. In response, the Jesuits chose to move him to another high school, Cheverus High School. In 2005, at the age of 67, he was convicted of several counts of abuse during his tenure at Boston College High School, and served six years in prison for the crimes. In a civil suit, 13 victims who sued the Society of Jesus and the high school received a $5.2 million settlement. At the time of his release, proceedings to laicize Talbot were still incomplete.[1] He was removed from the clerical state in 2013.[2] This case was one of several that are collectively known as the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston sex abuse scandal, and part of the larger Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States.

Talbot transferred from BCHS to Cheverus in 1980, where he remained until 1998, again in the role of history teacher and soccer coach in an all-male school.[3] In 1998 a student brought information to the bishop that her brother had been molested by Talbot, who by that time was molesting yet another student.[4] Talbot was released from prison for the BCHS charges in 2011, only to be charged for crimes committed at Cheverus.[5] In 2017, Talbot was extradited to Maine,[2] and in 2018 at age 80, was sentenced to two concurrent three-year sentences after pleading guilty to both gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact.[6] These charges both centered around the raping a nine-year-old boy at a church in Freeport, Maine.[6][3] Between prison stays, Talbot resided at Vianney Renewal Center, a Catholic faith based treatment center in Missouri run by the Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete to aid priests and brothers with personal difficulties.[7] He immediately began serving his 2018 sentence following his guilty plea.[3]

Talbot admitted to abusing "88 or 89" students altogether. One case is depicted in the movie Spotlight, which starred Michael Keaton in the role of Boston Globe editor Walter V. Robinson, who attended BCHS and who broke the story of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston sex abuse scandal in 2002.[7]

References
  1. "Priest who molested teens at BC High released". March 19, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  2. Bodnar, Marissa (November 29, 2017). "Cheverus: Accusations against priest led to increased vigilance". Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  3. Doyle, Megan (September 24, 2018). "Ex-priest, Cheverus teacher goes to prison for sexually assaulting Freeport boy". Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  4. Russell, Eric (December 1, 2017). "As James Talbot answers to sex charges, man who accused him years ago is in the courtroom". Press Herald. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  5. Bleiberg, Jake (September 25, 2018). "Former Maine priest pleads guilty to sexual assault of boy, confronted by victim in court". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  6. Villaneuve, Marina (September 24, 2018). "Ex-priest with Boston ties sent to prison again for child sexual abuse". Patriot Ledger. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  7. Ziner, Karen Lee (November 28, 2015). "Sex-abuse survivor, former R.I. man depicted in 'Spotlight' movie, tells his story". Providence Journal. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
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