BUFFALO, N.Y. - Amidst the allegations of sexual abuse involving priests in the Buffalo Diocese, there are new details surrounding claims of sexual abuse by a priest who has since died, but claims that the Diocese was aware of his alleged past activities.
As first reported by The Buffalo News, Reverend Michael Freeman is accused of actually using a weapon to coerce one of his victims.
2 On Your Side's Steve Brown sat down today with Attorney Steve Boyd, who is representing a man in a compensation claim with the Diocese.
Boyd says that man and another alleged victim identified by The Buffalo News and Boyd claim that Reverend Michael Freeman abused them in the 1980s with those claims reported to Diocesan officials.
Below are statements from Steve Brown's interview with Attorney Steve Boyd in regards to his clients claims:
"We have multiple victims and one of the ones that stands out is a guy who was abused by Father Freeman and when this claimant contacted me it was an immediate shock because I knew a lawyer in Niagara Falls Paul Barr who was abused by the same priest."
"High school freshman taken to Toronto and made to have sex with male prostitutes in front of the priest, made to have sex with male prostitutes with the priest, on some occasions the priest would point a gun to his head."
The Buffalo news reports Freeman is listed in a grand jury report in Pennslyvania.
2 On Your Side has reached out to Diocese spokesperson Kathy Spangler, but we have received no response from her. Spangler did tell the Buffalo News that they could not actually comment at this time because Rev. Freeman's file and other abuse claims were turned over to the New York State Attorney general's office with its subpoena.