A Westmoreland County priest is behind bars, charged with forcing a 10-year-old boy to perform oral sex in a church conference room in 1991. Reverend John T. Sweeney, once a trusted pastor across multiple parishes, was arrested on a first-degree felony count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse — a crime that has carried a decades-long shadow.
The arrest, announced by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in Lower Burrell Township, stems from a statewide grand jury investigation into systemic sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. The victim, then a fourth-grade student at St. Margaret Mary’s Catholic School, was sent to Sweeney for discipline after misbehaving on a school bus. Instead of correction, he was exploited — victimized by a man cloaked in religious authority.
According to the grand jury presentment, Sweeney used his position to isolate the boy in a room adjacent to his office and commit the assault. Afterward, the parish secretary brought the child milk and cookies — a grotesque gesture that only deepens the betrayal. The trauma was buried for decades, with the victim only coming forward last September to Lower Burrell police, who immediately referred the case to the Attorney General’s office.
Now a member of the United States Coast Guard, the victim testified before the grand jury, driven not by vengeance but fear — fear that Sweeney, who remained in active ministry for 16 years after the assault, might still have access to children. “He is a hero for his service,” Shapiro said, “but today we know him as a hero for coming forward.”
Sweeney’s assignments spanned nearly four decades, including pastorships at St. Margaret Mary in Lower Burrell, St. James in Apollo, and Holy Family in West Newton. His ability to move between parishes unchecked raises sharp questions about oversight within the Diocese of Greensburg. No evidence suggests church officials reported the abuse at the time.
Attorney General Shapiro urged anyone with information about Sweeney or other abusive clergy to contact the Office of Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Hotline. “Predators count on silence,” Shapiro said. “Today, we break it.”
Related Federal Cases
- Priest Admits to Child Porn, Thailand Sex Trips · Pennsylvania
- Lebanon County Man Indicted in Child Sex Abuse Probe · Pennsylvania
- George Orbin Guilty of Child Sex Abuse Videos · Pennsylvania
- OKLAHOMA PREDATOR GETS 10+ YEARS FOR PA CHILD SEX ABUSE · Pennsylvania
- Father Andrew Kawecki Arrested for Child Sex Abuse · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: Pennsylvania AG
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes