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Reported case of sexual abuse leads to arrest of Jesuit priest
By Kate Carter
A Roman Catholic priest suspected of sexually abusing a developmentally disabled resident of the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos was arrested and booked by Santa Clara County Sheriff's detectives May 9.
The Rev. Edward Thomas Burke, S.J., 80, was charged with one count of committing lewd acts with a mentally disabled person and posted $50,000 bail. He surrendered to detectives after a warrant for his arrest was issued.
He is the second resident of the center run by the Catholic Province of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, to be arrested for abusing one of two mentally disabled men. The disabled men have lived at the center for more than 30 years and have worked as dishwashers there.
In 2001, Brother Charles Leonard Connor was convicted of committing a lewd act against a mentally disabled person and was sentenced to six months of house arrest.
The investigation into Connor's misconduct was precipitated by information supplied to deputies by Los Gatos store owner Holly Ilse, who describes herself as a friend of the two victims. She said she had first informed authorities that they were being abused in 1989, but when questioned by investigators, the victims denied those allegations.
In 2000, Ilse again filed a complaint and Connor's victim, identified in court documents as John Doe, this time said Connor had abused him.
During the investigation of Connor, detectives received information that Burke may have been abusing the other mentally disabled man, said sheriff's spokesman Deputy Terrance Helm. In March, Ilse again reported that Burke's alleged victim said he was being abused, and when questioned by detectives he confirmed that, Deputy District Attorney Ben Field said.
Because Burke's case is separate from Connor's, his victim is also described in court documents as John Doe, now age 51, Field said. Burke is charged with abusing his victim between January 1998 and April 2000.
"There's really no significant overlap in the witnesses to those two cases," Field said. "We look at each case separately. I don't know that the jury would hear anything about the other case [if Burke's goes to trial.]"
Field also said that, during the investigation, Burke's alleged victim also told investigators of sexual assaults committed by four other priests at the center. Field said the investigation into those individuals is ongoing but there has not yet been a decision about whether or not to file charges.
In 2000, Jesuit officials had relocated both Connor and Burke from the Los Gatos center to other Bay Area Jesuit properties--Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose and Santa Clara University--when they learned of the suspected abuse. The victims continue to live at the center.
Ilse represents Connor's victim in a lawsuit filed against the California Jesuits, while the sister of Burke's victim, Debra Sullivan, represents him, Ilse said.
"I feel that it's sad that it had to come to this," Ilse said. "But I hope finally justice will be served."
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
