A Bronx woman who worked as an overnights security guard at a Manhattan church, has accused the priest for sexually assaulting her after she caught him watching gay porn in his office. The incident happened in November but came to light only on Wednesday.
Ashley Gonzalez, 22, who worked as a security guard at St. Michael the Archangel Church on West 34th Street in Manhattan, is now calling for the arrest of Father George William Rutler. The 75-year-old pastor is already infamous known for his controversial views and regular appearances on a global Catholic television network and has courted quite a few controversies earlier too.
Priest or Predator?
The assault, according to Gonzales, happened on the second night of her job after she saw Rutler watching porn on an office computer in the church rectory. Gonzales said that she filmed Rutler watching porn but the priest was quick enough to realize that and attacked her.
"He looked at me with a smile, looked away, and he put his hand inside his pants, and he was playing with himself," Gonzalez told News 12. However, that was not the end. Rutler then pounced on her and started sexually assaulting her. "He aggressively threw himself on me and grabbed me sexually, aggressively, and I was fighting him off of me," she said.
Gonzales said she was helpless and cried for help. Finally, she somehow managed to save herself and run away but is still traumatized. She even sent frantic text messages to her mother begging for help. "That was the scariest part too. I had no one to help," she said.
Unable to do anything, Gonzales then took help of private investigative firm, Black Ops Private Investigators, to help her file a police report for sexually assaulting her. They're now calling for Rutler's arrest.
Controversial Character
Rutler, however, has denied the allegations. "I strongly deny this allegation, which I maintain is incoherent and painful to my reputation and inconsistent with how I have conducted myself in fifty years of ministerial service without any accusation of misbehavior," Rutler wrote in a letter dated Nov 20.
In response, the Archdiocese of New York said that "although Father Rutler has denied acting inappropriately with the security guard, he has voluntarily stepped aside from the parish, and is not currently serving as a priest." The recent allegations have rocked the church but this isn't the first time Rutler has courted controversy.
Rutler, who routinely appears on Eternal Word Television Network, has time and again condemned "abortionists and the sodomites" and criticized Pope Francis. He was also once the host to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon at the inauguration of a shrine for persecuted Christians. Besides, he created uproar when he defended former Pope Benedict XVI after he seemingly referred to Islam as a religion inherently flawed by fanaticism.
This time, however, the allegations are quite damaging and if proved guilty, Rutler might end up serving years behind the bars.
