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| Rev. Kenneth Bernard (Pius) Hendricks Photo credit: NCRPO |
While excitement is centred on the American Catholic diocese currently scurrying to reveal lists of paedophile priests before formal criminal investigations begin, to see if any can top the record numbers of Los Angeles, Boston and Brooklyn, the events in the Philippines are going almost unnoticed.
As readers of this blog may recall, last December an American Catholic priest, a missionary working for the archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio by the name of Rev. Kenneth Bernard (Pius) Hendricks, was arrested and charged with the sexual abuse of two boys and was facing extradition to Ohio, USA, where he is also under investigation for similar crimes in the state. He had been arrested on a warrant issued by the United States District Court for Ohio on November 11, 2018 for "engaging in illicit sex with a minor in a foreign country."
He has now been re-arrested on five further warrants. Emboldened by news of Hendricks' arrest and detention, fifty other boys, have come forward with allegations. Almost all of these are alter boys; some of them were as young as seven years old when the alleged abuse took place. They claim they did not come forward earlier because of grave threats made by Hendricks.
His second arrest was the result of a joint effort by the Regional Special Operations Unit (RSOU) of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), BI’s Fugitive Search Unit, and US Department of Homeland Security.
Hendricks came to the Philippines from Cincinnati in Ohio, USA in 1968. Upon arrival to the country, he was ordained as priest in the Franciscan Order and practised his vocation at the St. Isidore the Worker Chapel at Talustosan Village in Biliran province. The archdiocese of Cincinnati has tried to distance itself from him, pointing out that he was actually ordained in Manilla. However, Hendricks is listed on the archdiocese's website in connection with his missionary activities and had received funding from the Archdiocese.
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