Bishop Camacho faces another sex abuse suit

A 65-year-old former altar boy has filed a $5-million lawsuit in federal court in Guam against Bishop Emeritus for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in the NMI Tomas A. Camacho for allegedly sexually abusing him when he was 10 years old at Mongmong Parish in Guam.

The plaintiff who identified himself as B.C. to protect his privacy, is also suing the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana and 50 other unnamed entities and persons.

B.C., through counsel David J. Lujan, is suing Camacho for child sexual abuse, and all defendants for negligence and for breach of fiduciary duty and/or confidential relationship.

He is suing the Agana Archdiocese and 50 unnamed co-defendants for child sexual abuse, negligent supervision, and negligent hiring and retention.

B.C. asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Guam to hold the defendants liable to pay him at least $5 million in damages plus court costs and attorneys’ fees. He demanded a jury trial.

According to Lujan in the complaint, when B.C. was a minor boy, Camacho, an ordained priest of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana, sexually molested and abused him.

Lujan said during his assignment at the Nuestra Senora de las Augus Cathlic Church in Mongmong, Guam, Camacho resided at the Nuestra Senora de las Augus Rectory in Mongmong.

Lujan said that in 1962, Camacho was the priest at the Nuestra Senora de las Augus Catholic Church in Mongmong and that during this time, he went around the village recruiting young boys to become altar boys.

The lawyer said Camacho went to B.C.’s house and asked his mother if he and his brothers could help him serve Mass.

Lujan said B.C’s. older brothers did not want to do it, so the mother made B.C. do it.

In 1962 at 10 years old B.C. became an altar boy at the Mongmong Parish and served Mass once or twice a month, mainly during Benediction on Tuesdays.

B.C. was also required to help clean up around the church and rectory after Mass.

Lujan said during the period in which B.C. was an altar boy at the Mongmong Parish, he was sexually molested and abused by Camacho on numerous occasions.

Lujan said the sexual abuse included groping and fondling B.C.’s private parts.

Lujan said one particular occasion, while B.C. was in the rectory eating bread after cleaning around the church, he found porn magazines and started to look at them.

A few minutes later, Camacho allegedly walked in and caught him looking at the porn magazines and threatened to tell his mother.

Lujan said B.C. was scared and begged Camacho not do it.

Lujan said Camacho then began to fondle the boy’s private parts.

B.C. never told anyone out of fear that Camacho would tell his parents about the magazines.

The lawyer said other priests and representatives of the Agana Archdiocese, including Bishop Apollinaris Baumgatner, Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, Monsignor Zoilo Camacho, Father Antonio C. Cruz, Louis Brouillard, and other individuals named as Doe defendants in the lawsuit, were aware of the sexual abuse committed by Camacho.

Lujan said these individuals deliberately remained quiet and withheld such information from third parties including victim’s parents or guardians and law enforcement authorities, in order to protect Camacho and the Agana Archdiocese, thereby placing their loyalty above their duty to protect the minor children and their legal responsibilities.

Lujan said as a direct and proximate result of the defendants’ conducts, B.C. “has suffered, and continues to suffer, great pain of mind and body, shock, emotional distress, physical manifestations of emotional distress, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, disgrace, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.”

The lawyer said B.C. has incurred and/or will continue to incur expenses for medical and psychological treatment, therapy and counseling.

Last February, Melvin Duenas, a Guam resident, also filed a lawsuit in the District of Guam against Camacho for allegedly sexually abusing him several decades ago when he was 10 years old while serving as the chief altar boy at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Inarajan, Guam. Several others were included as co-defendants in the lawsuit.

Last year, Guam’s Catholic community was rocked by several allegations of similar sexual abuse by then archbishop Apuron.