Ex-priest faces charges again

A former Costa Mesa priest has been arrested again on charges he molested a boy in his congregation, and this time prosecutors say the charges will stick.

Denis Lyons, 75, was arrested Monday afternoon and is due in court today on four counts of sexually abusing a boy under 14 years old with sentencing enhancements for the severity of the incidents, all dating back to between 1992 and 1995.

Lyons, who lives in Leisure World in Seal Beach, escaped prosecution in 2003 on charges he molested three other boys when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California law prosecuting old sexual abuse cases. Those charges were dropped because the abuse allegedly occurred between 1978 and 1981, prosecutors said.

The court prohibited an infinite statute of limitations regarding molestation cases. Any sexual assault before the current California law passed in 1994 had a six-year statute of limitations.

Jonathan Kirrer, 24, sued the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County earlier this year but quickly settled the case after going public with the allegations. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Lyons is accused of twice masturbating the boy when he was between 7 and 9 years old in Lyons’ room in the parish rectory and twice in the church sacristy.

The allegations from one of the boys in the 2003 case will be used as corroborating evidence in the current case, prosecutors said.

Costa Mesa police, with assistance from district attorney investigators, arrested Lyons on Monday while he played cards at a nearby community center.

Lyons also served as a priest at St. Edwards the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point and St. Mary’s By the Sea Catholic Church in Huntington Beach.

Lyons faces four counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 with a sentencing enhancement allegation for substantial sexual conduct on a child. He faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted on all charges and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

“Molestation is a devastating crime. Even more so when it’s done by a person of authority and trust,” said Costa Mesa police Capt. Ron Smith.

“We’re concerned there could be more victims out there.”

Anyone with more information or who believes he or she might have been a victim is urged to call prosecution investigator Tim Craig at (714) 347-8558 or Costa Mesa police Det. Mike Manson at (714) 754-5360.

‘Our Community Has Waited A Long Time For Justice...’

Editor’s Note: The following are some of Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas’ remarks made during the news conference announcing charges against Lyons.

Our community has waited a long time for justice as to this defendant.

In 2003, the Orange County district attorney’s office charged Denis Lyons with multiple counts of lewd acts upon a child involving three young boys.

Unfortunately, that case had to be dismissed based on a 2003 United States Supreme Court case called Stogner v. California, on the grounds of statute of limitations.

In September 2008, a 23-year-old young man came forward to Costa Mesa police to report what happened to him from 1992 to 1995, when he was 7 to 9 years old.

It was extremely difficult for him to come forward because he was ashamed of what had been done to him and because he feared that no one would believe him.

In this case, Denis Lyons is accused of masturbating John Doe on two different occasions in the rectory and two different occasions in the sacristy at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Costa Mesa.

For the last 10 years as I have served as the district attorney, this office has prosecuted a judge, police officers, teachers, religious leaders, coaches, and many others who hold positions of power and trust in our community.

Our entire community feels great regret and sadness when these people are charged with these types of crimes, but it does remind us that no one is above the law.

No matter what job they have or what position they hold in society, they should expect to face prosecution if they perpetrate these crimes.

We have had numerous cases involving priests and ministers. The cases involving Catholic priests were John Lenihan, Denis Lyons, Gerald Plesetz, Geraldo Tanilong, and Sigfried Widera.

All of these cases, except for Tanilong, involved sexual assaults of children which were not reported to law enforcement for many years. Cases against Lenihan, Lyons, and Plesetz were dismissed in 2003 after the Stogner v. California decision.

Prior to Stogner coming down, Widera reportedly killed himself while hiding in Mexico.

Tanilong pleaded guilty to the court and received six months in jail over the objection of the people.

What we have learned from prosecuting these types of cases against priests is that these victims suffer some of the greatest anguish among all sex-assault victims.

These men were some of the most trusted, respected, and revered persons in the victims’ lives. These men represent a spiritual bond with the victims’ savior and religious foundation.

The parents of the victims often are devout churchgoers who trusted these men completely to guide their children’s spirituality as well as education.

The victims in these cases, especially the boys, have trouble managing normal life challenges that everyone else takes for granted. These victims were vulnerable and young and in no position to resist their perpetrators.

As a result, many of these victims need long-term counseling, have difficulty managing school, jobs, and relationships, and often battle chemical dependencies as a form of escapism.

These types of crimes are some of the most selfish. Defendants satisfying their immediate sexual desires result in lifelong effects to the victims lives.

These crimes robbed these children of their innocence and normal rites of passage into adulthood.

In the last 10 years, my office has filed:

— 1,080 sex cases against defendants between 50 and 59 years old at the time of the crime;

— 443 sex cases against defendants 60 to 69 years old;

— 120 sex cases against defendants 70 to 79;

— and 12 sex cases against defendants 80 to 89;.

For example, Tanilong was 71 years old at the time of his crime.

During the same span of time, we filed charges against one defendant who was 91 years old at the time of his crime and another who was 96 years old at the time of his crime.

We have found that there is no age limit for people who perpetrate sex crimes against children.

Recidivism is high among child molesters, and there are no known cures to ensure a child molester will not repeat his crime and victimize more innocent children.

For the past few years, Denis Lyons has lived in Leisure World, where many grandchildren of residents visit.

I urge anyone who has been a victim of Denis Lyons to contact the district attorney’s office or Costa Mesa police.

They can count on us to treat them with respect and compassion and the community has our pledge to make sure justice is served in this case.