New grand jury report shows Catholic priests in Pittsburgh ran an extensive child porn ring where children were sexually exploited and groomed for abuse.

In a growing and horrific story out of Pennsylvania, a breathtaking grand jury report released by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court documents rampant and pervasive child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, listing more than 300 accused clergy and over a 1,000 confirmed child victims.

The report demonstrates that hundreds of “predator priests” sexually abused more than 1,000 children in Pennsylvania for decades — all the while being protected and enabled by Roman Catholic Church leaders.

In one particularly heinous episode documented in the report, a group of Catholic priests in Pittsburgh ran an extensive child porn ring where children were sexually exploited and groomed for abuse. Working together, the priests would select, target, and groom young teen boys to exploit.

According to the grand jury report, the Revs. George Zirwas, Francis Pucci, Richard Zula, Francis Luddy, and Robert Wolk, were all part of a “ring of predatory priests” who raped children, shared intelligence on potential victims and manufactured child pornography in parishes and rectories.

The report notes:

This group of priests used whips, violence, and sadism in raping their victims.

Operating out of the Pittsburgh Diocese, the priests would give their targeted victims, often alter boys, big gold crosses to wear to identify the child victim as the property of the child porn ring being run by the priests.

Writing for The Inquirer, David Gambacorta shares some details from one victim’s testimony:

During a conversation about religious statues, the priests told George to get onto a bed and remove his shirt, and strike a pose like Jesus on the cross. Then they instructed him to strip off his pants and underwear, according to a grand jury report released Tuesday by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. In the unnerving moments that followed, George claimed that Zula or Pucci began taking photos of him on a Polaroid camera. All of the priests giggled — and then added the photos of George to a collection of photos of other teen boys. According to the grand jury, these men and another priest, the Rev. Robert Wolk, were part of a “ring of predatory priests” who raped children, shared intelligence on potential victims and manufactured child pornography in parishes and rectories.

The grand jury also reports on the extensive coverup involving church leaders at all levels who enabled, and continue to enable, predatory priests raping and sexually abusing children:

Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades. Monsignors, auxiliary bishops, bishops, archbishops, cardinals have mostly been protected; many, including some named in this report, have been promoted. Until that changes, we think it is too early to close the book on the Catholic Church sex scandal.

Bottom line: Catholic priests in Pittsburgh ran an extensive child porn ring where children were sexually exploited and groomed for abuse.