Ohio priest arrested, charged with trying to meet children for sex

[biro]

Fr. Patrick Hughes was arrested in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday. He was charged in a sting operation after he allegedly tried to arrange meetings with children for sex.

From the article:

Sheriff Zach Scott says the 56-year-old Hughes was arrested on charges of attempted rape and attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

Hughes remained in Franklin County Jail Thursday night, where no attorney was listed for him.

[TristanCross]

You know, when I see stories like this while watching the news, I usually say, "I've already seen this episode..."

[Orthodox11]

Excellent response from bishop and parish. This is how all such matters should be dealt with.

[augustin717]

Is it right though, to entice assumed  pedophiles by fake ads like these?

[TristanCross]

Is it right though, to entice assumed  pedophiles by fake ads like these?

It was the priest who made the ad.

[augustin717]

Is it right though, to entice assumed  pedophiles by fake ads like these?

It was the priest who made the ad.

Ok. I thought it was some under-cover officer.

[TristanCross]

Is it right though, to entice assumed  pedophiles by fake ads like these?

It was the priest who made the ad.

Ok. I thought it was some under-cover officer.

Nada. But thank God the authorities responded to it in order to arrest him before any legit people responded.

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Excellent response from bishop and parish. This is how all such matters should be dealt with.

Agreed which is the only reason this can be called news and not, "Oh, this again?"

stay blessed,
habte selassie

[Shiranui117]

Ugh, it sucks hearing about this, so close to home. I hope the folks at Holy Annunciation give this investigation all they've got, as I know they will. Wolves can show up anywhere in the flock. All we can do is hope that they get dogpiled by the sheep and smacked away by the shepherds.

[podkarpatska]

A sad reminder that we Orthodox are not immune from the scandals which have befallen our Roman Catholic friends and neighbors. A reminder that mandatory celibacy is not the issue, homosexuality is not the issue - the very essence of our sinful nature is the issue. Also a reminder that you WILL find pedophilia among any group of adults who have the opportunity to work in a field which serves children or in settings among them. Don't despair and pray for all involved - especially all of the children who have been victimized by adults abusing their status as adults.

[stashko]

Must be a Roman Catholic priest Convert, to Holy Orthodoxy...It Shouldn't be allowed, especially Clergy from Rome also other faiths....Lay Catholic's , Protestant's , studying to be Orthodox Clergy fine .......  

Holy Orthodoxy shouldn't allow any Roman Clergy becoming Orthodox Clergy...To many Bad Apples out there.......  

Just popped in to give my thought's on this subject.......

[Iconodule]

Must be a Roman Catholic priest Convert, to Holy Orthodoxy...

Classy as always, Stashko.

[psalm110]

Is this the second orthodox priest this year to be caught ??

What is it with priests wanting kids ? Why, whats wrong with them ? I mean we all strieve iam from sexual sin but pedophilia is destructive to the victim, family and believers Also the priests soul. We have to pray for him. But, I still don't understand why priests like little boys !??!??

[Shiny]

Yesssssssss stashko is back.

[Cyrillic]

Yesssssssss stashko is back.

YES! When I was a lurker I always enjoyed his posts.

Hello, Stashko.

[Kerdy]

Is it right though, to entice assumed  pedophiles by fake ads like these?

Yes. That's how sting operations work.  But I don't think this is how it happened this time.

[Basil 320]

I am so pleased to see that Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh took such prompt and proper action in this matter.  His Eminence has experience with these type of matters.  He was the Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America who, a few years ago, went thought every priest's file and facilitated effectively correcting all anomalous situations he was able to detect.  I am aware of two such situations of which he facilitated definitive corrective action.  Some time after he completed that thorough review project, the Holy Archdiocese re-qualified for insurance protection for this type of abominable behavior of its clerics.  The suspension of Fr. Nicholas Hughes (this name "Patrick" must be a secular name of which we weren't privy), is properly prominently posted on the website of the Holy Metropolis of Pittsburgh's website.

I feel compelled to add that I've know Fr. Nicholas for many years (we are not friends, though) and have found him to be a well versed theologian, an enlightened preacher, and a fine liturgist, with a beautiful voice, effectively executing the Byzantine hymnology in both English and Greek.  I never found anything peculiar about him or his behavior.  I saw nothing in him that would have led to suspicion that he could engage in such utterly deplorable behavior; neither had I ever heard of such behavior relavent to him.  May God help him correct this horrendous disorder of which he appears to be afflicted; and may He continue to inspire Metropolitan Savas as he oversees this matter as it progresses.

He has been the Hieromonk for the St. Theodore the Studite Monastic Brotherhood in Galion, Ohio, which he founded, and had been an Interim Presiding Priest for the Columbus' Annunciation Cathedral for only the past year or so.  Years ago he had been with the St. Gregory Palamas Monastery near Hayesville, Oh.   The Columbus assignment was scheduled to conclude next week if I'm not mistaken, in that a new Presiding Priest has been assigned.

I do not know where Fr. Nicholas was educated.  He is a convert from Roman Catholicism and was in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of N. America prior to his being transferred into the GOAA's Diocese of Pittsburgh in the mid-1980's; he was initially in an "on-loan" status.

Most Holy Theotokos save us!

[Orthodox11]

A sad reminder that we Orthodox are not immune from the scandals which have befallen our Roman Catholic friends and neighbors.

This is true, we are certainly no more immune from sin than anyone else. Hoever, what made those cases a scandal, not just over individual priests, but a scandal of the Roman Catholic Church was the behaviour of those who covered up the crimes of those priests, took no effective action, and allowed it to happen again. I'm delighted to see that Met. Savas and others have learned from the mistakes of the Catholic Church and have decided to take such firm, transparent, and immediate action. God bless him for that.

[podkarpatska]

A sad reminder that we Orthodox are not immune from the scandals which have befallen our Roman Catholic friends and neighbors.

This is true, we are certainly no more immune from sin than anyone else. Hoever, what made those cases a scandal, not just over individual priests, but a scandal of the Roman Catholic Church was the behaviour of those who covered up the crimes of those priests, took no effective action, and allowed it to happen again. I'm delighted to see that Met. Savas and others have learned from the mistakes of the Catholic Church and have decided to take such firm, transparent, and immediate action. God bless him for that.

Being as personally familiar with the true inner workings of chancery offices and bishops across our Orthodox universe as opposed to the 'urban legends' regarding these operations as expressed online or that you would hear at parish meetings,  I can only say that to presume that all of our hierarchs and their advisors would have reacted boldly and with a firm and swift hand of justice had cases of pedophilia within Orthodoxy been known in decades leading up to the Roman scandals which came to light in the late 1990's is probably a heartfelt, but ultimately naive hope. (Just as in the Roman Church, no doubt some, if not most of our Church leaders would done the right thing - but..not all....) 

As much as any of you, I want to believe that our leaders would not have gathered the wagons into a circle in an effort to 'wait it out', but I would be lying if I truly told anyone with any strong degree of certainty that we would not have done so. Far too many priests and even bishops shopped jurisdictions, switched allegiances etc... over the years, usually with the welcomed consent of their former bishop.

It is in the nature of human organizations to protect one's own and to disbelieve the worst about family, friends and colleagues.  I am glad that we have learned lessons from the mismanagement of the Romans, but as I said we should reflect with sorrow and prayer rather than any sense of jubilation that we are better than they.

[Basil 320]

Metropolitan Savas sent his Chancellor to interact with the leaders and faithful of Annunciation Columbus since Fr. Nicholas' arrest. and His Eminence is visiting Sts. C &H in Mansfield, Ohio, were Fr. Nicholas for quite a few years.

[podkarpatska]

Metropolitan Savas sent his Chancellor to interact with the leaders and faithful of Annunciation Columbus since Fr. Nicholas' arrest. and His Eminence is visiting Sts. C &H in Mansfield, Ohio, were Fr. Nicholas for quite a few years.

Please remember the faithful of these churches in Ohio this Sunday in your prayers. Fr. Michael Ellis, now at SS. C and H, is from my parish and a friend of my family and grew up with my children. He has had a tough week as his mom is recovering from open heart surgery on Tuesday which followed a back fracture caused by a fall in church a few weeks ago. I am sure that the healing of the parishes will be not unlike the healing of our bodies. Lord, have mercy.

[Tikhon29605]

Back during the summer of 1996, just after my conversion to Orthodoxy, I visited Father Nicholas and the small monastic brotherhood (just two monks at that time) at St. Gregory Palamas Greek Orthodox monastery in Hayesville, Ohio.  I had a very nice pilgrimage there.  They gave me a room in the guesthouse with access to an excellent library.  It was peaceful and quiet and conducive to prayer.  They had a very nice rather new (at the time) monastic building with a living room to receive visitors, a huge dining room for meal and a spacious kitchen. They also had a nice icon studio. The monastic dormitory was on the second floor.  They had a free-standing Byzantine style church down the hill from the monastic residence, complete with a dome and beautiful iconography. They showed me wonderful hospitality and were very gracious to me as a newly-christmated Orthodox Christian. The first day I was there, after the morning liturgy, Father Nicholas cooked me breakfast.  I remember that he made hashbrowns and coffee and it was delicious.  I had a very nice time there and I saw NOTHING when I was there neither in Father Nicholas' behavior nor in anyone else's behavior that was suspect.  I met a new convert who had just been baptized there at the monastery church.  I met an Antiochian fellow who came in and worked in the Icon Studio and I met a Melkite priest and his wife there that were considering returning to Orthodoxy. 

I grieve for the monastic community and for the parish Father Nicholas was serving.  May the Lord bring healing and peace.

[Basil 320]

Metropolitan Savas sent his Chancellor to interact with the leaders and faithful of Annunciation Columbus since Fr. Nicholas' arrest. and His Eminence is visiting Sts. C &H in Mansfield, Ohio, were Fr. Nicholas for quite a few years.

Please remember the faithful of these churches in Ohio this Sunday in your prayers. Fr. Michael Ellis, now at SS. C and H, is from my parish and a friend of my family and grew up with my children. He has had a tough week as his mom is recovering from open heart surgery on Tuesday which followed a back fracture caused by a fall in church a few weeks ago. I am sure that the healing of the parishes will be not unlike the healing of our bodies. Lord, have mercy.

I wish I'd have seen this before church today.  Thank you for sharing this information; Fr. Michael is wonderful.

[converted viking]

Must be a Roman Catholic priest Convert, to Holy Orthodoxy...It Shouldn't be allowed, especially Clergy from Rome also other faiths....Lay Catholic's , Protestant's , studying to be Orthodox Clergy fine .......  

Holy Orthodoxy shouldn't allow any Roman Clergy becoming Orthodox Clergy...To many Bad Apples out there.......  

Just popped in to give my thought's on this subject.......

Nice job with the profiling and putting them all in the same basket.   Did you forget this ?  I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who camest into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first.  We ALL pray this at every Divine Liturgy, are you exempt?  The point I am trying to make here is we are all sinners, lets worry about own sins and not consign all Roman Catholic convert clergy to the dust bin.

Seraphim

fixed tags.  Serb1389

[KBN1]

Converted Viking,
Read up on some Stashko and you will figure out his schtick.

[converted viking]

Converted Viking,
Read up on some Stashko and you will figure out his schtick.

Do I really want to do that?   I picked Seraphim as my name for my chrismation because I have such a bad temper.  If I had a thimble of St. Seraphims humility and prayer life I would be a lot better off. I ask for his help and prayers daily.  My wife remained in the RC and I left for Orthodoxy.  When she talked to Father at my church when I became a catechumen she told him that she fully supported me in what I was doing I would not be an Orthodox Christian today if she had made a huge fuss and dug her heals in. It is preferred that both spouses convert and not just one due to the problems it could cause in the marriage.   My wife a Roman Catholic fully backs me an Orthodox Christian and I really am getting tired of the diatribe against Catholics, lets be constructive and pray for them. I think Stashko and I will have a bloody royal fight and I'm not going there. 

Seraphim

[Iconodule]

Someone should seriously start a thread called, "Apophthegmata of Stashko," so we can all imbibe of his wisdom as from a common fountain.

[podkarpatska]

Someone should seriously start a thread called, "Apophthegmata of Stashko," so we can all imbibe of his wisdom as from a common fountain.

I mean no offense to Iconodule with my comments here but it struck me as funny to see the word - 'apophthegmata' in a sentence. I know, if one read the Desert Fathers at some time in one's life, you might be familiar with this word - it is literally a collection of aphorisms. Otherwise, I suspect it is an unknown term.

The funny thing is that we will engage in heated discussions here online about English in liturgy as opposed to Koine Greek or Church Slavonic or Geez or whatever and many of us who support the vernacular (as do I) will flip back and use a word like this (as I have done from time to time as well) ... Outside of church history students, seminarians and very few lay folks in the Church, this word would totally unfamiliar to even a well educated observer.

It's great for Scrabble but you will not likely find 'apophthegmata' in a Jeopardy category. Of well, we had our Church festival this weekend and I am tired and probably overly peevish!

[Shanghaiski]

Apothegmata Stashkum. The mix of Greek and Latin just reeks of ecumenical panheresy.

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Converted Viking,
Read up on some Stashko and you will figure out his schtick.

I often like Stashko, but if members of this forum and community are expressing that they are offended by his schtick, then by definition his shtick has crossed the line, even if being facetious.  The line of what is offensive or not is entirely determined by the sentiments of the audience, and we have many Catholic posters here, and also several folks who have converted from Catholicism to Orthodox, we should be more careful not to step on their feelings. Further considering the context, I'd say it was all the more grossly inappropriate.  This is why polemics aren't generally allowed in the first place

stay blessed,
habte selassie

[Ergib]

  I HATE stories like this 

I used to judge Catholic Priests…Lord have mercy on me.

[Schultz]

I've said it once, I'll say it again.

Stashko is not a cradle Serbian Orthodox.  He's a Croatian Roman Catholic Stepenic worshipping "convert" (if that, at all) who is here to cast aspersions on the Orthodox.

[ZealousZeal]

I've said it once, I'll say it again.

Stashko is not a cradle Serbian Orthodox.  He's a Croatian Roman Catholic Stepenic worshipping "convert" (if that, at all) who is here to cast aspersions on the Orthodox.

That would honestly make me feel so much better.

[Antonis]

I completely agree with what was done, but to call the father a "wolf"?

We all fall into sins, we should be able to see that. Often it happens slowly, building up, we slowly justify it to ourselves until we are doing truly awful things and feel like we can't escape. He was a monastic, perhaps there was a reason for this. But to call him a wolf? What do we know? He could have been a saint in every other regard except for controlling his lust. My heart goes out to those that may have been affected by it, but we should pray for him, for those affected, and for the Metropolitan, not denounce and declare this man an enemy of the faith.

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

 

I completely agree with what was done, but to call the father a "wolf"?

We all fall into sins, we should be able to see that. Often it happens slowly, building up, we slowly justify it to ourselves until we are doing truly awful things and feel like we can't escape. He was a monastic, perhaps there was a reason for this. But to call him a wolf? What do we know? He could have been a saint in every other regard except for controlling his lust. My heart goes out to those that may have been affected by it, but we should pray for him, for those affected, and for the Metropolitan, not denounce and declare this man an enemy of the faith.

Shepherds are not perfect, they make mistakes and sin like the rest of us, but their primary goal is flaws and all to care for the sheep.  Wolves are sinners like us too, but they are different from shepherds, wolves eat sheep and do them harm.  We expect protection from even sinful shepherds, and we expect wolves to be wolves and harm the sheep.  We try then not to put wolves in charge of the sheep, and when such occurs, there is no wrong in calling a wolf a wolf.  The results speak for themselves.  We should indeed pray for this man, but in the sense that we need to sincerely love, forgive, and pray for our enemies

stay blessed,
habte selassie

[vamrat]

I completely agree with what was done, but to call the father a "wolf"?

We all fall into sins, we should be able to see that. Often it happens slowly, building up, we slowly justify it to ourselves until we are doing truly awful things and feel like we can't escape. He was a monastic, perhaps there was a reason for this. But to call him a wolf? What do we know? He could have been a saint in every other regard except for controlling his lust. My heart goes out to those that may have been affected by it, but we should pray for him, for those affected, and for the Metropolitan, not denounce and declare this man an enemy of the faith.

I will almost always defend the priest in these allegations as I am always wary of fraud, but honestly, a saint in all other regards...except a penchant for sodomizing kids...kind of rubs me the wrong way.  That's going a bit too far.  A priest is supposed to have a wife, and if she isn't being faithful to him then fine, just do what the rest of us do and look at bizarre porn, but don't go setting up ads to go all Spartan on a kid.

[serb1389]

I completely agree with what was done, but to call the father a "wolf"?

We all fall into sins, we should be able to see that. Often it happens slowly, building up, we slowly justify it to ourselves until we are doing truly awful things and feel like we can't escape. He was a monastic, perhaps there was a reason for this. But to call him a wolf? What do we know? He could have been a saint in every other regard except for controlling his lust. My heart goes out to those that may have been affected by it, but we should pray for him, for those affected, and for the Metropolitan, not denounce and declare this man an enemy of the faith.

I will almost always defend the priest in these allegations as I am always wary of fraud, but honestly, a saint in all other regards...except a penchant for sodomizing kids...kind of rubs me the wrong way.  That's going a bit too far.  A priest is supposed to have a wife, and if she isn't being faithful to him then fine, just do what the rest of us do and look at bizarre porn, but don't go setting up ads to go all Spartan on a kid.

Christ didn't have a wife...

Unless that fragment...

 

[KBN1]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Converted Viking,
Read up on some Stashko and you will figure out his schtick.

I often like Stashko, but if members of this forum and community are expressing that they are offended by his schtick, then by definition his shtick has crossed the line, even if being facetious.  The line of what is offensive or not is entirely determined by the sentiments of the audience, and we have many Catholic posters here, and also several folks who have converted from Catholicism to Orthodox, we should be more careful not to step on their feelings. Further considering the context, I'd say it was all the more grossly inappropriate.  This is why polemics aren't generally allowed in the first place

stay blessed,
habte selassie

That's fine and all, but I suspect that many people take Stashko far more seriously that he takes himself.  I was only suggesting some further context for Converted Viking.  As much as I disagree with the actual words of Stashko, there has grown in my heart a warm place for him.  Maybe I just appreciate absurdity for the sake of absurdity.   

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

That's fine and all, but I suspect that many people take Stashko far more seriously that he takes himself.  I was only suggesting some further context for Converted Viking.  As much as I disagree with the actual words of Stashko, there has grown in my heart a warm place for him.  Maybe I just appreciate absurdity for the sake of absurdity.  

I told y'all, I also very much like Stashko, but facetious or not, given the serious context of this discussion, that was inappropriate, distasteful, and disrespectful at a lot of levels  

, just do what the rest of us do and look at bizarre porn, but don't go setting up ads to go all Spartan on a kid.

Speak for yourself, but I have no dealings with such demonically energized filth as pornography and even if I accept my priests as humble sinners, I can only hope that they are also wise enough in the Spirit to avoid such self-destruction

stay blessed,
habte selassie

[biro]

In a shocking end to an already disheartening case, Fr. Patrick Nicholas Hughes today pled guilty to the charge of attempted rape, for soliciting sex online from whom he thought were two children. They turned out to be sheriff's deputies.

From the article:

"I am abjectly sorry for, and I know I cannot repair, but nevertheless need to express that sorry to everybody," said Hughes.

As part of a plea deal, the judge sentenced the Hughes to six years in prison and five years post community control.

[Shiny]

Wow.

[Eastern Mind]

Lord have mercy

[FormerReformer]

And here's the fun of the American legal system- one can be guilty of "attempting" a physical act against two purely fictional and imaginary beings. 

[augustin717]

And here's the fun of the American legal system- one can be guilty of "attempting" a physical act against two purely fictional and imaginary beings. 

That's kinda disturbing. I do not think he did anything deserving actual jail time.

[neon_knights]

And here's the fun of the American legal system- one can be guilty of "attempting" a physical act against two purely fictional and imaginary beings. 

That's kinda disturbing. I do not think he did anything deserving actual jail time.

Attempting to solicit sex from minors doesn't deserve jail time??? Seriously???

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