NORWELL, Mass. -- A Catholic priest from Vermont and seven Massachusetts men have pleaded innocent to charges of performing lewd and lascivious acts following their arrests at a highway rest stop, officials said Thursday.
State police intent on curtailing homosexual activity at rest stops on Massachusetts roadways Tuesday arrested the Rev. Richard Thompson, 43, associate pastor of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro, Vt., and the seven others in Norwell, state police said.
The arrests were made following complaints from drivers and local residents.
'The picnic tables are full of families and kids, and 50 yards away you've got guys walking around touching each other,' said state police Lt. Robert Comtois. 'I hope we scared a few.'
Thompson's pastor, the Rev. H. Basil Nichols, said the priest was relieved of his responsibilities pending resolution of the charges.
'Father Thompson certainly has been a very dedicated priest at St. Michael's and one who was loved very deeply by the people of the parish,' Comtois said. 'We hope that the charges that have been brought prove to be untrue. This has been a difficult time for him and us. It's a very sad thing. I just hope people will be sensitive and understanding.'
Thompson, originally from Boston, has been with the Brattleboro church for the past 2 years.
