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!