CLEVELAND, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Ten people, including a priest, faced a variety of charges Wednesday stemming from a 7-month investigation of sex abuse allegations in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
The Rev. Daniel McBride was indicted on seven counts, alleging he took a minor to New York for sexual purposes. McBride reportedly retired in 1987 as pastor of St. Ann's in Cleveland Heights.
Prosecutor William D. Mason said the grand jury examined 40,000 documents turned over by the church and 10,000 from the Ohio Department of Children and Family Services, as well as evidence stemming from current and past civil litigation and criminal prosecutions. He estimated that 10,000 man-hours were devoted to the investigation.
"The goal of this office has been the protection of children from pedophiles in the community," Mason said.
Also indicted Wednesday were Lyn Ernsberger, Robert Schoup, Martin Lynch, John McKenzie, Christopher Zembower, Johnny Miller, Nathan Petrovich, Orin Smith and John Johnston.
An 11th individual, Michael Brown, the owner of Marshal McCarren's bar on Cleveland's west side, was indicted Oct. 31.
Ernsberger, Schoup, Lynch and McKenzie were indicted on corruption, prostitution and other charges stemming from activities at Marshal McCarren's, which Mason described as "a brothel." The rest of those indicted were associated with Parmadale, a facility for abandoned and abused children funded by Catholic Charities in Parma.
The records stretched back 50 years, with most of the allegations studied at least a decade old. Mason said investigators had found 1,019 victims and 496 potential offenders, including 145 priests. But, he said, most of the allegations were too old to prosecute.
"We reviewed all these allegations and tried to determine whether there was sufficient evidence on which we could base a prosecution," Mason said, adding he expects more victims to come forward now that the indictments have been announced.
Mason said Cleveland church officials cooperated fully with the investigation.
The indictment came just days after prosecutors at the other end of the state accused officials with the Cincinnati archdiocese of "stonewalling" the investigation of sexual abuse allegations within the church in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.
