Police Raid 'Secret Archives' Of Houston Archdiocese In Sex Abuse Probe
(CBS NEWS) - One week after a CBS News investigation into how the archdiocese of Galveston-Houston handled sex abuse allegations, law enforcement seized documents at the archdiocese's offices Wednesday. Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon arrived unannounced with 60 armed agents who left with boxes full of private documents from the archdiocese's "secret archives."
"We are treating the Catholic Church in the same way we'd treat a bank that has records, in the way that we'd treat a criminal enterprise," Ligon said.
Ligon's search comes just as a wide-reaching federal investigation into the Catholic clergy sexual abuse appears to be getting underway. At least 13 state attorneys general have also launched their own state investigations.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo leads the archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
"I know that he's probably not pleased at all, but it's not my job to please the cardinal," Ligon said.
At least one of the victims of Rev. Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, went to DiNardo with their allegations, but it wasn't until they went to police that the priest was arrested — after DiNardo promoted him.
