Francis J. Allen

Ordained:
Diocese: Diocese of Harrisburg

From Report I of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

In 1989, the Diocese of Harrisburg learned that a boy alleged that Francis “Scotty” Allen sexually abused him in the 1970’s.   The Diocese documented the allegation.  The Diocese’s documents revealed the following information.

The boy’s mother reported the alleged abuse to Monsignor Thomas Brenner; Brenner informed [REDACTED].  The boy alleged that Allen had “sexual encounters” with him on three occasions; once at St. Mary’s Seminary and twice at the boy’s home. The boy’s mother reported that she came home one day and “caught them with egg on their face.” [REDACTED] summarized the allegation and noted, “[t]his matter is confidential with us.  We would never revealed [sic] unless he would have any work in a parish, church or exercise with the diocese.” The mother reported her son’s abuse again in 2002.

In 1994, a woman reported to the Diocese that her son was molested by Allen from 1974 to 1975.  Her son was 11 to 12 years old at the time of the abuse.  The boy then informed the Diocese that in 1974, while he was in fifth grade, he remembered that Allen went to a park where boys skateboarded and Allen photographed the skateboarders.  Allen obtained permission from the boy’s parents to take the boy to St. Mary’s Seminary for an overnight stay. At the Seminary and during the overnight stay, there were no other seminarians around.  During the night, Allen began to massage the boy and fondle the boy’s genitals until the boy ejaculated.   Diocesan documents dated January of 1994 and February of 1994 reveal that there were more “encounters” between the victim and Allen.  The use of the term “encounters” in the Diocesan documents suggests the “encounters” included Allen sexually abusing the boy. The boy ceased contact with Allen shortly after starting the sixth grade.

Additional information regarding the widespread sexual abuse of children within the Catholic Dioceses of Pennsylvania and the systemic cover up by senior church officials is compiled in the Pennsylvania Diocese Victim’s Report published by the Pennsylvania Attorney General following a two-year grand jury investigation.  A complete copy of the Report is available on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s website.