Plaintiff in abuse case recalls torment by priest

SEATTLE — A man suing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle says he thought he was the only boy being abused by a priest. The 44-year-old Auburn jewelry company manager testified Tuesday he learned only in 2005 that Patrick G. O’Donnell was a serial molester. O’Donnell was a priest in Spokane but also molested boys after being sent to Seattle for sexual deviancy treatment in 1976-78. It’s the first lawsuit against the Seattle archdiocese over abuse by a priest to go to trial. Lawyers say more than 200 claims have been settled and fewer than 20 remain pending. The most recent settlement was announced Monday with a second plaintiff in the case in King County Superior Court. O’Donnell has admitted abusing at least 30 boys, including the remaining plaintiff in the lawsuit.