Richard R. Lavigne
Richard Roger Lavigne (born 1941)[1] is a former priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts and convicted sex offender. Lavigne has been at the center of the priest abuse scandal in the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts with about 40 claims of sexual abuse of minors placed against him.
Richard R. Lavigne | |
---|---|
Born | 1941 (age 78–79) |
Occupation | former Catholic priest |
Criminal status | released |
Conviction(s) | child sexual abuse |
He was removed from ministry by Bishop John Marshall in 1991. He pleaded guilty to two counts of child sexual abuse on June 26, 1992[1] and was the only suspect named in the unsolved 1972 murder of 13-year-old Danny Croteau of Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1994, DNA tests failed to link Lavigne to the Croteau murder and the Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett did not bring any charges against Lavigne in that case. Lavigne was removed from the ranks of the clergy by the Vatican on 20 November 2003.[2] Lavigne has registered as a sex offender and currently resides in Chicopee, Massachusetts.[1]
References
- "Level 3 Sex Offender - Richard Roger Lavigne". Commonwealth of Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
- Zajac, Bill (January 21, 2004). "Vatican defrocks Lavigne, Springfield, MA Priest". Springfield Republican. SNAP. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
Further reading
- Melley, Brian June 26, 1992 Father Levigne Pleads Guilty http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news/1992_06_26_Melley_FatherLavigne.htm
- Cullen, Kevin (February 21, 2004). "Diocese's report on sex abuse questioned". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
- Cullen, Kevin (August 6, 2004). "Lawyer: Documents clear ex-priest". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
- Cullen, Kevin (January 21, 2004). "Approval given to defrock priest". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
- Cullen, Kevin December 14, 2003 http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2003/12/14/a_priest_a_boy_a_mystery/