Convicted Jesuit Priest Back In Court

CHICAGO (WBBM) -- A convicted pedophile priest was back in federal court in Chicago today, answering the latest charges against him.

WBBM's Regine Schlesinger reports.

The U.S. attorney's office has added three new counts to the indictment against Father Donald McGuire, alleging that he travelled with a minor across state or international lines for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts.

Father McGuire, a Jesuit priest who had close ties to Mother Teresa, is accused of molesting boys and was convicted last year in a separate case in Wisconsin.

He's pleading not guilty to the latest charges as he did to the previous ones. His lawyer, Stephen Komie, says the case is taking a toll on the 77-year-old priest's health.

Father McGuire, who's been fired by the Jesuits, remains free on bond under virtual house arrest while he awaits trial. He's also appealing his conviction in Wisconsin and faces civil lawsuits by several of his accusers.

In those civil cases, Father McGuire is being sued by his own nephew.

Attorney Kevin McGuire represents the three plaintiffs who say his uncle, Father Donald McGuire, sexually abused them years ago. He says he's going against family because it's the right thing to do.

As for Father McGuire's claims that he's in failing health, his nephew calls that a "gimmick" and a "ploy for sympathy." In his words, "Father McGuire has been dying for 40 years."

Father McGuire's lawyer, Stephen Komie, says Kevin McGuire stands to gain financially if he wins a civil judgment in the lawsuits against his uncle and the Jesuits.

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