Ex-Pope John HS Priest Named On Church Sex Abuse List

SPARTA, NJ — A former priest who worked at Pope John High School faced a credible sexual abuse allegation, the Diocese of Paterson said.

James Scott, who was on the faculty at Pope John High School, was named on a newly released Diocese list of credibly accused priests. He served at other North Jersey churches and schools during his career (you can find a full list of churches at the bottom of this article).

The priest was included on a list of 28 from the Diocese of Paterson who face credible abuse allegations. All the priests are either deceased, removed from the ministry, or laicized.

"Such misconduct by those ordained as ministers of our faith can never be tolerated. The faithful of our diocese have a right to know that the diocese is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of our children and to report perpetrators to law enforcement authorities," Bishop Arthur Serratelli said in a letter.

Scott faces one accusation; more information on the details of the allegation was not immediately available. He was removed from the ministry in 1995.

The Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Camden, Trenton, Paterson and Metuchen said they are committed to the establishment of a "Victim Compensation and Counseling Program."
This program will provide the resources to compensate those victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and employees of the Dioceses in New Jersey whose financial claims are legally barred by New Jersey's statute of limitations, according to the authorities.

Authorities said the program also will assure that victims who have not received any financial compensation will be paid, regardless of whether their claims meet the time requirements of the statute of limitations.

"While this is a positive first step towards transparency and accountability, I hope this spirit of openness continues during the course of our ongoing investigation and in response to our requests for records and information," Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.

The Attorney General's Office urges survivors and others with information to contact its toll-free tip line, 855-363-6548, which is staffed by trained professionals on a 24/7 basis.

Here is a list of where Scott also served:

• Faculty, Paul VI High School, Clifton
• Our Lady Star of the Sea, Lake Hopatcong
• Faculty, Pope John High School, Sparta
• Faculty, DePaul High School, Wayne

Image via Shutterstock