Radnor Sex Assault Case Settled By Archdiocese For $3.5 Million

RADNOR, PA —The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who claimed he was sexually assaulted by a priest when he was 14 years old in Radnor Township, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Associated Press.

The plaintiff said in the lawsuit filed in Philadelphia Court that the assault occurred in 2006 when he attended religious classes at St. Katherine's of Sienna, in the Wayne section of Radnor Township in Delaware County.

The plaintiff, now 30, reported the assault in 2018. The lawsuit claims that the late Pastor John Close sexually assaulted the student and warned him not to tell anyone.

It also notes that the man did not report the incident until years later, in 2018.

As a result of this assault, in the lawsuit, the man claimed he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia said in a statement provided to the Patch Wednesday that the Archdiocese " acknowledges settlement in this matter and the resolution it brings."

According to the statement: " Close died on March 6, 2018. Prior to his death, the Archdiocese had no knowledge of this allegation. It was brought forward by the plaintiff's attorneys in 2019. In accordance with policy, the Archdiocese reported the allegation to law enforcement."

The Archdiocese stated none of the settlement funds came from the Catholic Charities Appeal, Seminary Appeal, or other donor-designated funds.

“We deeply regret the pain suffered by any survivor of child sexual abuse and have a sincere desire to help victims on their path to healing,” Kenneth A. Gavin, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said in a statement.

Close was ordained as a priest in 1969. He retired in 2012 and resided in Villa Saint Joseph in Darby until his death.

He worked at several parishes and schools in the region including Cardinal O'Hara High School, Springfield; Arch Bishop Wood High School, Warminster; and Cathedral of Basilica Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia.