Monk accused of abuse dies

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A monk facing new charges of abuse has died on the property in Texas where he and four other monks were accused of molesting boys.

Samuel Greene's body was found Monday at the closed Christ of the Hills monastery in Blanco County, the Austin (Texas) American-Statesmen reported Tuesday. Greene was "massively overweight" and had heart problems, said Greene's former lawyer Michael White.

Greene, a former boys home supervisor, founded Ecumenical Monks Inc. in 1972. In 1981, he aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, which broke with Greene in 1999 after Greene and other monks were accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old novice monk, the American-Statesman reported.

Greene received 10 years' probation for indecency charges. He and four of the monks were charged anew, however, when Greene last year told his probation officer of sexual contacts with minors dating over 30 years, police said.