A Catholic priest who up until just two months ago was in active ministry in the Diocese of Erie has been charged with multiple child sex crimes.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Tuesday announced felony charges against Father David Poulson, 64, of Oil City, saying he sexually assaulted two boys over the course of many years.

Poulson groomed and abused the boys, "manipulating the tools of the priesthood-- making one victim confess the abuse during the sacrament of confession," according to the information released by the attorney general's office.

One of the victims was 8 years old when Poulson began abusing him. The second victim was 15 when the abuse started.

The Diocese of Erie knew since at least May 2010 of the abuse, Shapiro said in announcing the arrest on Tuesday. Bishop Lawrence Persico, head of the Erie Diocese, in April released the names of 34 priests facing credible allegations of sexual abuse, as well as 17 lay people.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Tuesday said the Erie Diocese had known of predatory priest David Paulson since 2010. Pictured here is Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie.

Poulson, who had been a priest in the Erie diocese for four decades until earlier this year, was arrested this morning and charged with indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors. Three of the counts against Poulson are felonies.

The charges against Poulson were recommended by a statewide grand jury that has been investigating allegations of child sex crimes across six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania: including Harrisburg, Allentown, Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Erie and Scranton.

Sources close to the investigation speaking on background indicate that the 18-month investigation has been completed. The findings could be released as early as this month. Victims advocates generally believe the findings could lead to a number of arrests among church officials.

Investigators found that Poulson sexually assaulted the boys while employed in active ministry as a diocesan priest.

"Poulson assaulted one of his victims repeatedly in church rectories," Shapiro said at a news conference at the Erie County Courthouse. "He made that victim go to confession and confess the abuse - to Poulson. This was the ultimate betrayal and manipulation by Poulson. He used the tools of the priesthood to further his abuse."

According to the grand jury's presentment made public today:

Poulson sexually assaulted one victim repeatedly in church rectories at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Fryburg and Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Cambridge Springs. The abuse at the rectories usually happened on Sundays - after this victim served as an altar boy at Mass.These assaults took place more than 20 times.

Poulson required this victim to make confession in church and confess to the sexual assaults - to Poulson, who served as the priest receiving the boy's confession.

Poulson also assaulted this victim and a second victim at a remote hunting cabin that he owned with a friend in Jefferson County. The cabin was off-the-grid and was located 10 minutes off the main road in a rural location. It lacked electricity, heat or running water. Poulson would bring the youths to the cabin, watch horror movies with them on his laptop, and then assault them.

Victim 1, who is now 23, told investigators that Poulson began to sexually molest him when he was approximately eight and continued until he was 16. The abuse happened on a bi-weekly basis from 2002 to 2010, the victim said. Poulson made him go to confession and confess the abuse.

Victim 2 said he had contact with Poulson between 2003 and 2006 when he was 15 to 18 years old.

Shapiro said the diocese knew since at least May, 2010, of Poulson's sexual predator tendencies but did nothing to report him to authorities until September 2016, in response to a subpoena from the grand jury.

The diocese even produced a May 24, 2010 secret memorandum, in which diocesan leaders confirmed complaints had been made about Poulson's inappropriate contact with minors. In the memo - hidden in church archives for six years - Poulson admits being "aroused" by a boy, and sharing sexually suggestive texts with numerous other boys.

The Diocese of Erie

"The time of protecting powerful institutions over vulnerable children is over, and anyone who abuses kids will have to answer to my office," Shapiro said. "Children are targeted by predators because they are vulnerable, they are young and they struggle with shame, confusion, or fear. But once a victim finds the courage to come forward, law enforcement must take action. Poulson faces serious felony charges for the sexual abuse of a child. We will hold him accountable."

Diocese officials interviewed Poulson, who admitted he owned the hunting cabin and that he took an estimated 20 trips there, half of which were with young boys.

He admitted he was attracted to young men and provided the names of the boys he took to the cabin. The diocese, by this point cooperating with the Office of Attorney General and the ongoing grand jury investigation, turned the boys' names over to investigators.

The grand jury heard from nine other men who had contact with Poulson when they were minors. The men told similar stories: Poulson was a "cool" young priest who befriended them, flirted with them, "wrestled" with them, and "joked" about his sexual preference for young boys. Poulson plied the boys with gifts, cash, dinners and alcohol.

In at least one of these cases, prosecutors believed evidence of a sexual assault existed, but it was barred on statute of limitations grounds.

Shapiro asked anyone with information about sexual abuse by Poulson or any priest to contact the Office of Attorney General's Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-888-538-8541.