HDNet's "Dan Rather Reports" Uncovers New Evidence That a Priest Joined L.A. Archdiocese Despite His Troubling Past

Could this Archdiocese of Los Angeles have prevented teens from being subjected to abuse by this predator priest?

Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET

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Jun 27, 2011, 03:07 ET

DALLAS, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Tomorrow night, "Dan Rather Reports" uncovers the dark and disturbing past of a priest who joined the Los Angeles Archdiocese, even as church leaders were promising to address its swelling clergy abuse scandal.

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The priest, Father Fernando Lopez-Lopez, went on to molest at least three teenage boys in his Los Angeles parish. Our report shows there were warning signs from a prior post in Italy that Lopez was trouble -- signs that were missed by church officials in Los Angeles, even as its leader, Cardinal Roger Mahony, was pledging a new "zero tolerance" policy on sexual abuse in the priesthood.

One of Lopez's victims is now taking on the Archdiocese for exposing him to harm in a trial set to start in October.

"Even if you're hiring a janitor to work in the school, you're going to find out where he worked... who he worked with," said attorney Vince Finaldi, who is representing the plaintiff in the lawsuit. "You're going to fingerprint the person, you're going to do a background check."

How does the Archdiocese respond to this lawsuit and the new disclosures from our investigation? Watch "Dan Rather Reports" tomorrow night on HDNet.

"Dan Rather Reports: All is not Forgiven" premieres on HDNet, Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET with an encore at 11:00 p.m. ET. The program also airs on Saturday, July 2 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

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SOURCE HDNet