LA Archdiocese pays $13 million to 17 to victims of priest abuse

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Archdiocese settled the last of its pending lawsuits on molestation by priests with a $13 million payout to 17 victims, officials said.

The archdiocese came to the agreement last week before a trial was set to start for the Rev. Nicolas Aguilar-Rivera. The priest was visiting from Mexico and allegedly molested more than two-dozen boys over nine months in 1987, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

Eleven of the alleged male victims, now adults, were set to testify against Aguilar-Rivera and argue that Cardinal Roger M. Mahony allowed him to flee back to Mexico before a police report was filed.

The settlement included $1 million for each of 11 men and smaller amounts for six others who said they were assaulted by other priests, the victims' attorney, Anthony De Marco, said.

"We think all of these cases are now behind us," said J. Michael Hennigan, the archdiocese attorney.

Overall, the archdiocese has paid more than $740 million to more than 500 victims, the Times said.