From Maryland-A retired Episcopal priest who served for six years at a church in Street and has ties to two other churches in Harford County, is facing child sex abuse charges in Cecil County.
Rev. Donald Wells Belcher, 82, was indicted in Nov. 3 on two counts of child sex abuse and one count each of third- and fourth-degree sex offense, according to Cecil County Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Urick.
Urick declined to discuss the charges in detail or why they were brought in Cecil County.
Belcher, who has been living in Yaak, Mont., waived extradition to Maryland on Dec. 29 and agreed to accompany a member of the Lincoln County, Montana, sheriff’s office back to Cecil County to face the charges, according to court documents and a statement issued by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
Belcher served as vicar of the Church of the Holy Cross in Street from 2001 to 2007. He also has connections to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Havre de Grace and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Abingdon.
“His connection with St. John’s in Havre de Grace seems to be the occasional service here and there,” Sharon Tillman, director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, said Thursday.
Tillman said Belcher has no formal connection to St. John’s.
Belcher served as associate of pastoral care at St. Mary’s between June and December 2008, Tillman said.
More here-
http://www.exploreharford.com/news/7502/former-harford-priest-faces-sex-abuse-charges/
No comments:
Post a Comment