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Former priest arrested for allegedly filming teen boy in Pittsburgh Target bathroom

By Jon Andreassi staff Writer jandreassi@observer-Reporter.Com 3 min read

Pittsburgh police arrested a former priest with ties to several Washington County parishes after he was accused of taking pictures of a 13-year-old boy in a Target bathroom stall.

Paul George Spisak, 77, is charged with felonies of photographing sexual acts involving a child, possession of child pornography and a misdemeanor of invasion of privacy.

Spisak’s address is listed as that of Saint John Vianney Manor, a retirement home for priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Police were called to the East Liberty Target at 6231 Penn Avenue just before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The victim told police he noticed someone recording with a cellphone from the bathroom stall to his left. Security attempted to stop Spisak as he left the restroom. He denied the allegations and attempted to flee. The victim’s father was trying to stop Spisak from leaving, according to police.

When officers arrived, Spisak was in his vehicle. He told police he was, “just playing solitaire.” Police found Spisak had a phone similar to the one described by the victim.

Police detained Spisak and he admitted to photographing the victim during an interview. Police said Spisak also admitted to having similar photos of unknown males on his phone.

Spisak had previously been arrested in 2006 for a similar incident at South Hills Village Mall.

Spisak had been assigned to St. Benedict the Abbot Parish in Peters Township from 1978 to 1980. From 1981-1990, he was at St. Dominic’s and St. Charles’ in Donora.

Spisak returned to the Washington County area in 1998 when he was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in Cecil Township.

Spisak was named in the grand jury report on the investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, which was released by the attorney general’s office in 2018.

According to the grand jury report, staff at St. Dominic’s reported Spisak after they discovered pornography and pictures of Spisak with two underage boys, estimated to be about 15.

The report alleges Spisak destroyed these images, but later admitted to taking the pictures during vacations he took with teenaged boys while in Donora in the 80s. He claimed they were innocent and, “just for fun,” according to the report.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl received a letter from the diocese concerning an evaluation of Spisak in November 1998. The letter stated Spisak showed “significant interest in grade school age males,” according to the report.

From 2000 to 2002, Spisak was moved to Chaplain Nursing Home in Pittsburgh.

According to the report, Wuerl stripped Spisak of his priesthood in May 2003.

Spisak is scheduled to appear before Judge Kim Berkeley Clark at 1 p.m. Dec. 22 for a preliminary hearing on the charges against him.

“The Diocese of Pittsburgh was not aware of the arrest of Paul Spisak until it was brought to our attention by the media,” the diocese said in a statement following Spisak’s arrest. “Paul Spisak has not been an active priest in the Diocese of Pittsburgh since 2002. He was removed from active ministry on Feb. 22, 2002, and has not been involved with any ministry since 2002. Contrary to information listed in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, again, Spisak has not been in ministry since 2002. As a resident of Saint John Vianney Manor, any violation of the conditions of his residence would lead to his removal from that residence.”

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