Lawyer for former priest denies new sex abuse allegations

LANSING, Mich. – A lawyer for a former Catholic priest facing sexual abuse charges as part of the Michigan attorney general’s ongoing investigation into clergy abuse is denying the new allegations.

Vincent DeLorenzo, who served several Michigan churches, was charged last month with criminal sexual conduct. He admitted when he resigned from a Flint-area parish in 2002 that he had sexually abused a child. He wasn’t charged at the time, but the Diocese of Lansing has said eight people eventually accused him of sexual abuse.

DeLorenzo’s attorney, Michael Manley, told the Lansing State Journal the former priest “publicly admitted his past wrongs and received harsh punishment within the church.”

Manley says DeLorenzo “vehemently denies” the new allegations, which involve a different child. He’s free on bond ahead of an Aug. 1 hearing.

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Information from: Lansing State Journal, http://www.lansingstatejournal.com