Priest sexually assaults boys, forces one young victim to confess the crime back to him: Prosecutor

Prosecutors in Pennsylvania are pursuing a slew of criminal charges against a priest accused of sexually assaulting two boys.

According to the Philly Voice, 64-year-old Rev. David Poulson was arrested earlier this week and is expected to face counts including indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.

The charges were announced on Tuesday in a press conference by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

He has already made this case a line in the sand regarding sexual assault of minors.

“The time of protecting powerful institutions over vulnerable children is over, and anyone who abuses kids will have to answer to my office,” he said.

The attorney general has advocated for the abolition of his state’s statute of limitations regarding such crimes.

As alleged by court records, the Oil City man is accused of abusing one boy when he was as young as 8 years old and another beginning at the age of 15.

In both cases, authorities claim Poulson used a hunting cabin as the scene of some assaults.

He allegedly watched horror films with them prior to the criminal contact.

In the case of one boy, prosecutors say the priest abused him in church after he performed duties as an alter boy on Sunday mornings. Poulson then allegedly coerced his victim to confess the behavior back to him.

The priest had served in the Erie diocese with congregations in Morrisdale, Fryburg and Cambridge Springs throughout his career.

[Featured image: David Poulson/Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General]