Fryburg Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse Expected to Plead Guilty Today

JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) — A former Fryburg priest accused of sexually abusing two young boys over a period of many years in Jefferson County is expected to plead guilty today.

Former Erie Diocese Priest David Poulson is scheduled to stand for a plea hearing before Jefferson County President Judge John H. Foradora at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday on charges related to the sexual abuse of two children that were brought forward in grand jury testimony.

According to the grand jury presentation:

• Poulson sexually assaulted one victim repeatedly in church rectories at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Fryburg and Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Cambridge Springs. The abuse at the rectories usually happened on Sundays – after this victim served as an altar boy at Mass. These assaults took place more than 20 times.
• Poulson required this victim to make a confession in church and confess to the sexual assaults – to Poulson, who served as the priest receiving the boy’s confession.
• Poulson also allegedly assaulted this victim and a second victim at a remote hunting cabin that he owned with a friend in Jefferson County. The cabin was off-the-grid, located 10 minutes off the main road in a rural location. It lacked electricity, heat or running water. Poulson would bring the youths to the cabin, watch horror movies with them on his laptop, and then assault them.

The Diocese of Erie knew since at least May of 2010, of Poulson’s sexual predator tendencies – but did nothing to report him to authorities until September of 2016, in response to a subpoena from the grand jury. The diocese even produced a May 24, 2010, secret memorandum, in which diocesan leaders confirmed complaints had been made about Poulson’s inappropriate contact with minors. In the memo – hidden in church archives for six years – Poulson admits being “aroused” by a boy, and sharing sexually suggestive texts with numerous other boys.

Poulson, a native of the Oil City area, served as a priest at St. Michael’s Church in Fryburg, Clarion County, for several years between the late 1990s and 2013.

Additional details are expected to be released by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro during a Wednesday morning press conference at the Jefferson County Courthouse.

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