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Dad: Msgr. Brady groped my son

Dad: Msgr. Brady groped my son
Steve Solomonson

The father of the 13-year-old boy who accused a Marine Park priest of sexual abuse lashed out at the Brooklyn Diocese on Monday, claiming that the church is lying about the severity of the crime.

“[The diocese] says that there was no physical contact, but there was,” the teen’s father told this paper on Monday, describing the attack on his son police say was committed by retired Msgr. Thomas Brady, the longtime pastor at Good Shepherd Church who has close ties to District Attorney Charles Hynes. “[Brady] exposed himself and shoved his hands down my son’s pants.”

Police arrested the 77-year-old Brady on Friday morning, claiming that the former Batchelder Street spiritual leader had attempted a “criminal sex act” on two minors at two different times the day before.

The 13-year-old’s father, a Plumb Beach resident who is not being named by this paper, said his family are longtime Good Shepherd parishioners and his son was attending Good Shepherd parochial school when the attack took place.

Now, he’s not sure if he wants his son to return to Good Shepherd.

“[My son] wants to go back to school, but quite frankly I’m afraid for him,” he explained. “I don’t think they believe him.”

Police sources say the teen was in the church rectory with Brady at 10:45 am Thursday morning when the 77-year-old allegedly made several lewd comments. At one point, the former FDNY chaplain “offered to have sex” with the minor, cops said.

The police did not say that Brady had touched the child. Neither did the Diocese, who put Brady on administrative leave for having “inappropriate contact” with the 13-year-old, as well as a second teen. Diocese officials learned about the second attack while investigating the first.

The Diocese forwarded its findings to the DA, who charged Brady with attempting a “criminal sex act” before handing the case over to Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan. Brady was released on $2,000 bond on Friday.

A DA spokesman said Hynes couldn’t take the case since he and Brady are “longtime acquaintances.”

Diocese spokeswoman Stefanie Gutierrez said Brady, Good Shepherd’s pastor emeritus who continued to reside at the church rectory after retiring in 2009, has been removed from the Marine Park parish. Brady will not be able to say mass or administer sacraments for he foreseeable future, she explained.

“That’s the protocol under these circumstances,” said Gutierrez, claiming that church parishioners have been very supportive of Brady, despite the allegations.

“[Brady] is highly regarded and revered in both the Diocese and the parish,” she said. “He’s been a priest since 1959 and nothing like this has ever happened before.”

Yet Gutierrez couldn’t confirm accusations that Brady had groped the teen.

“The allegations are that [Brady] had inappropriate contact,” she said. “I don’t know what was involved.”

She did refute claims made by the child’s father that the church was treating Brady with kid gloves.

“The diocese is taking this very seriously,” she said. “We confirmed that there have been allegations of inappropriate behavior, Msgr. Brady has been suspended and placed on administrative leave, announcements were made at all parish masses at Good Shepherd, and Bishop DiMarzio has asked for prayers for everyone involved.”

Brady is expected to return to court later this week to respond to the sex abuse charges.