A former Roman Catholic cardinal has been charged with fourth-degree sexual assault for an incident in Wisconsin over 45 years ago. Attorney General Josh Kaul and Walworth County District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld announced the charge for former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who is 92 years old.
In a press release, the specific charge comes from an accusation that McCarrick fondled a victim’s genitals while staying in Lake Geneva in the spring of 1977. That same year, Mc Carrick was elevated to serve as Auxiliary Bishop of New York.
McCarrick has also pleaded not guilty to a charge in Massachusetts, where authorities accuse him of sexually abusing a boy at a wedding reception in the summer 1974. His attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss that case saying Mc Carrick, who now lives in Missouri, has dementia and isn’t competent to stand trial.