John Geoghan

John J. Geoghan was a Catholic priest and serial paedophile from the American state of Massachusetts.

Biography
John Joseph Geoghan was born in 1935 in Boston to a family of Irish Catholics. After attending several parochial schools, Geoghan began training to become a priest at Cardinal O'Connell Seminary, and in 1962 he was ordained. He was assigned to be an assistant pastor and later that year successfully talked an unknown man out of killing himself by jumping off the Mystic River Bridge in Saugus, Massachusetts. While there, Geoghan was accused of bringing young boys into his bedroom by Reverend Anthony Benzevich, who later said he was branded as a troublemaker by church officials for making this accusation. He was later transferred to St. Paul's Parish in Hingham, the reason for which is still unknown, where a man claimed Geoghan had molested his son just a year into Geoghan's time there. This accusation resulted in Geoghan being sent to an institute in Baltimore to have treatment for his paedophilia. Another parishioner later accused Geoghan of molesting her four children, however no action was taken against Geoghan.

In 1980, Rev. John Thomas told bishop Thomas Daily that Geoghan had confessed to the molestation of seven children. When Daily called Geoghan, Geoghan admitted this, but said he did not feel that it was serious. Three days later, Geoghan was placed on sick leave and forced to undergo psychotherapy. He later returned to the parish, but was removed after further accusations of paedophilia.

Having been assigned to St. Julia's Parish, Geoghan was placed in charge of three youth groups, despite concerns from several priests. Two years later, more sexual abuse allegations were made against him and he was diagnosed with homosexual paedophilia. He was suspended and the church later received complaints about him groping a ten-year old boy at a public pool. He retired in 1993 and a year later confessed to molesting four boys while in Saugus. He was charged with a case of sexual assault (the boy at the pool), defrocked and eventually found guilty. While in prison, he was murdered by Joseph Druce.