James "Ron" Gonsalves

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James "Ron" Gonsalves is a permanent deacon of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and former administrator of Saint Ann Catholic Church in Waihee on the island of Maui. On May 17, 2006, Deacon Gonsalves plead guilty to 30 counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of attempted first-degree sexual assault and 30 counts of third-degree sexual assault, on an unnamed male victim who was 12 years old at the time of the assaults.

"Expedited sentencing" (which allows the 69 year-old deacon to ask for a year in jail and twenty years probation) is reportedly being negotiated. Such sentencing is permitted for "intra-family" cases in which the perpetrator and victim are related or live under the same roof. Deacon Gonsalves is free on $100,000 bail, but confined to his home. The plea agreement will be considered by Judge Shackley Raffetto at Gonsalves' sentencing hearing on July 20, 2006.

On June 3, 2006, Bishop Clarence Richard Silva of Honolulu permanently withdrew Deacon Gonsalves' faculties to function as a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. The Diocese of Honolulu has initiated laicization proceedings against Deacon Gonsalves with the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

[edit] Sources

June 2, 2006, edition of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, "Maui deacon pleads guilty to sexual abuse"

June 16, 2006, edition of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, "Statement of the Most Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu, regarding the guilty plea of deacon James "Ron" Gonsalves to sexual abuse of a minor"