Man Claims Priest Sexually Abused Him, In Lawsuit Against Wayne Church

WAYNE, NJ — A man claims that a Catholic priest sexually abused him at a Wayne church more than 30 years ago, in a lawsuit against the church and the Diocese of Paterson.

The plaintiff was 10 to 12 years old at the time and is suing Our Lady of the Valley Church for negligence, according to a northjersey.com report.

He alleges that Father Raymond J. Conlin had "unpermitted sexual contact" with him between the years of 1988 and 1991, while he was participating in youth activities at the church.

The lawsuit, which also lists five unnamed church employees, claimed the plaintiff was pressured to stay silent and that church leaders did not do enough to prevent the abuse. It also claims that the church "became aware or should have become aware of Fr. Conlin's propensity for sexual abuse" yet did not investigate, the report said.

According to the report, the man suffered both physical and psychological injuries, and is still undergoing therapy and counseling.

Conlin died in 1997 and has not faced any other claims or allegations, a representative from the Diocese of Paterson told Patch. The representative declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

This article has been updated to include a statement from the Diocese of Paterson.