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Catholic church continues paying priests with history of sexual assault allegations

PITTSBURGH — This week's grand jury report found the Pittsburgh Diocese spent nearly $2 million to handle cases of sex abuse.

Channel 11 did some extensive digging through this report and found the diocesan money continues to be paid to priests named in the report and was given to other priests for years even while they were in jail.

One example is Father Richard Dorsch, who's accused of abusing several boys and was convicted in the 90s of sexually assaulting a 13 year old. At that time, Dorsch took a leave of absence and got $1,000 a month from the diocese until 2009.

In total, he got nearly $160,000 in "sustenance payments" while being a convicted child abuser. Today, it appears that Dorsch's salary is still "subsidized by the Diocese."

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Father David Zermejko is accused of molesting and raping several boys. He took a leave of absence in 2009.

In 2013, police found child pornography in his room at a priest retirement home.

While serving prison time for child porn, he got $350 a month from the diocese.

Even though Zermejko was defrocked in 2015, he wrote to Bishop Zubik in 2016 and asked for more money and Zubik replied, "Having just received your heartfelt letter, I am quickly following up on your request for financial assistance."

Father Anthony Cipolla, who was moved to eight different parishes over 16 years received more than $135,000 from the diocese after being placed on leave for allegedly abusing and raping several young boys.

In 1996, he wrote to then Bishop Wuerl "requesting additional money."

Cipolla continued to get money from the diocese until 2002, when he was finally defrocked.

The Greensburg Diocese is now working to get all living priests named in the report defrocked so they can stop payments to them.