A man who accused a New Jersey diocese of allowing a priest to molest him for over 10 years settled a lawsuit with the district for $610,000, NJ Advance Media reported Friday.
Chris Naples, 42, claimed that Reverend Terence McAlinden molested him throughout the '80s and '90s starting when he was 13. The abuse took place at churches and during overnight trips to other states, Naples claimed in his lawsuit filed in March.
Naples argued his abuse would not have lasted if the Diocese of Trenton had done something about the priest when another person made molestation claims against McAlinden years before. The Trenton Diocese quietly settled that case, NJ Advance Media reported.
A New Jersey church investigated McAlinden when Naples publicly accused him for the alleged abuse in 2007. The diocese, which denied culpability in the settlement, suspended McAlinden.
Naples finally settled his lawsuit with religious officials in August but Naples said what he truly wants is to see his accused abuser stripped of his priesthood.
"That would be the ultimate," Naples told the media company. "That is worth more to me than any money in the world."
Naples, of New Gretna, first filed his lawsuit in Delaware, where he said the priest molested him during an overnight trip. McAlinden admitted to the sex acts but maintained nothing happened until after Naples was 18. The now 73-year-old priest did not return a request for comment, NJ Advance Media reported.
The Trenton diocese, however, argued it was not culpable for the alleged Delaware incident because McAlinden was "off duty" during the trip that was not sanctioned by his superiors. The diocese opted to settle with Naples once he filed the suit again in New Jersey.
According to public records, Naples received $3 million in an individual judgment against McAlinden in Delaware, according to NJ Advance Media. Naples said he is unable to discuss the settlement due to a confidentially clause.
The Diocese of Trenton is expected to publicly acknowledge and apologize to Naples in the near future, a condition named in the settlement.
"This has never been about money for me," Naples told NJ Advance Media. "I wanted to make a statement, and this definitely makes a statement. It's about them doing the right thing, meaning the church I grew up in, the church I trusted. It's about being transparent and not sweeping it under the rug."
