A CATHOLIC high school chaplain in Reading, Pennsylvania, is being sued by a local couple for impregnating their 18-year-old daughter, who had mental health problems.
Rev Luis A Bonilla Margarito was secretly videotaped having sex with the couple’s daughter in the basement of their home.
A stranger to celibacy: Luis A Bonilla Margarito, who is no longer functioning as a priest. Photo: Richard J Patrick/Reading Eagle
The lawsuit, filed this week in Berks County Court, alleges that the priest carried on a sexual relationship with the teenager while he was chaplain of Reading Central Catholic High School and she was a senior there.
The girl’s parents became suspicious and installed a camera in their basement, where Bonilla and the teenager were spending large amounts of time. The camera recorded the couple having sex in November 2009, after she graduated, according to the suit.
Her parents took the video to the Diocese of Allentown, which removed Bonilla from his dual posts as chaplain and pastor of St Joseph Church in Reading when he acknowledged an “inappropriate relationship” with the teenager. Bonilla was sent to a treatment facility but:
Continued to have intimate contact with [the teenager] during this time period and ultimately impregnated her.
She recently gave birth to a girl.
Diocesan spokesman Matt Kerr said:
[Bonilla] has no assignment, and he has not functioned as a priest since November.
Bonilla was named chaplain of Central Catholic in 2008 and befriended the teenager, then 17, at the beginning of her senior year. He “began to groom [the teenager] for a sexual relationship,” the suit said, knowing that she had mental-health problems, had been abused sexually by an adult man, and was “susceptible to being manipulated.”
Her parents began to suspect a relationship and reported their concerns to administrators at Central Catholic. The suit alleges:
They were told their suspicions were unfounded and that nothing could be done to separate [the teenager] and Father Bonilla because he was her spiritual adviser and/or counsellor.
Bonilla also took steps to alienate the teenager from her parents, telling her that she was 18 and no longer had to obey them, the suit said.
The suit, filed by Wyomissing lawyer Jay Abramowitch, alleges that diocesan officials knew about the relationship but were:
So concerned about their own reputation and/or financial interests that they failed to protect [the teenager] from Father Bonilla.
The parents are seeking punitive damages for breach of fiduciary duty, infliction of emotional distress, and gross negligence. The suit names as defendants Bonilla, the diocese, the high school, Allentown Bishop John Barres, and former Bishop Edward Cullen.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
August 29th, 2010 at 10:04 am
The catholic predator will be tried in a secular court and found guilty.
What about the girl’s father? Forget the religious aspect, where’s the direct action? I’ve the strength to look him in the eye as I deny him breath. Perhaps squeezing and releasing to prolong the fear and agony.
Sorry if this sounds brutal but anyone who’s a Dad will know the law is far too lenient in these cases.
August 29th, 2010 at 10:07 am
How stupid are these people? They let their daughter spend “Large amounts of time” in their basement together with a Catholic priest. No wonder the Church likens them to sheep, having grown up on a farm I know that sheep really are among the dimmest of mammals. I despair I really do.
August 29th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Hmmmm… All sounds a bit “Iffy” to me, almost as if the girl was placed in harms way. Lots of dosh being made from churches these days. Of course, I’m just an old cynic. It’s the girl’s daughter I feel sorry for.
August 29th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Stonyground.
This quote reflects your opinion. The quote is from Seneca, the Roman Stoic and from 2,000 years ago.
= Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by wise men as false and by rulers as useful….=
August 29th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
@ Broadsword,
Some may think that your response to this would be
a bit brutal.
I think your approach is 100% what any decent father
would do if their daughter, or son, was abused.
Personally I don’t think the family of this girl will get
much justice through the courts, but best of luck to them.
But also as Stonyground observed ‘like sheep’ why did they
take the tape to the diocese first and not the police? Even at
a moment like this they simply cannot think for themselves.
KGB, CIA are amateurs compared to the catholic church when it
comes to brainwashing techniques.
August 29th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
@Broga
Seneca never said any such thing. That stupid quote is a corruption of something Edward Gibbon wrote in /Decline and fall/, vol 1, chtp 2:
“The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally true; by the philosopher, as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful. And thus toleration produced not only mutual indulgence, but even religious concord.”
August 29th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
And the brainwashing/propaganda is being readied for Ratzo’s visit. On the Sunday programme this morning we were given some facts from the RC representative in discussion with Peter Tatchell who was admirably restrained. Most of the programme time, of course, went to the RCs. Here is what he said when Peter challenged him on everyone having to pay for Ratzo’s visit:
1. The great majority of people in the UK were core christians and welcomed the visit;
2. There would be a state dinner when RC bigwigs would meet with UK types to discuss wide issues. Ratzo wouldn’t be there himself;
3. There were be an opportunity for Ratzo or his minions to discuss important issues such as armaments control with the UK government;
4. There was clear evidence that condoms did nothing in Africa or wherever to prevent AIDS.
We also heard from some whiny younger RCs that they were being briefed so that they could insert themselves in the media to represent the truth of the RC faith. The sounded like a bunch of lying dumbfucks to me. Then an older RC was given time about what she and her bunch were going to do.
No mention, of course, of paedo abuses and Ratzo’s role in the cover-ups. One thing for sure: neither of these groups will be short of favourable airtime on the BBC.
August 29th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
@ Broga,
Should the ‘holy father’ ever get caught, on camera, wanking himself unconscious to ‘Naughty Nuns monthly’ whilst screaming ‘all followers of religion are fuckwits who deserve all they get.’
The faithfull would hear it as ‘we in the vatican love the poor.’
So good is the brainwashing and/or grooming.
August 29th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
PHil.
Well thank you for correcting me in such charming terms. Although at 2000 or so years distance I envy you your certainty. Anyway, perhaps I ought to give you my source. I came across the Seneca quote in the excellent How to be a good Atheist by Nick Harding. It is on page 69 of my copy (Oldcastle- 2007.) I realise that in your rigorous, pedantic even, terms this might be regarded as hearsay. However, at this distance and amidst all the translations it is difficult to be anything else.
August 29th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
@tony e. They are certainly putting some work in, and hiring professionals, to instruct them in “media delivery.” The C.of E. seems to have almost disappeared off the religious radar. I expect Rowan Williams will be at the State dinner. Ratzo won’t. I think he transcends that kind of beanfeast. Can’t have Christs rep on earth speaking with the ordinary folks.
August 30th, 2010 at 1:38 am
The more significant story here, of course, is one that is being overlooked by the press. How about the headline, “Gold digging lawyer convinces parents to videotape daughter having sex?†Sex in the basement, in their own home, with their own flesh and blood doing the deed with a suspended priest while they sit back and let it happen!
Follow the money trail on this guy Abramowitch. He has made a recent career of targeting the Catholic Church. Sensing a weakness, he swoops in like a vulture on any possible claim. I guess he has decided that the Catholic Church has deep pockets, what with all their charitable organizations and all. He’s happy to take the money of people who intended it to be used to help support schools and hospitals, overseas aid and the poor and destitute. No conscience here about lining his own pockets. Entrapping this hapless priest is a new low.
The priest is not innocent. He broke his vows and he may have been very inappropriate with a young woman. He certainly was stupid.
The fact remains that there is no evidence that Catholic clergy abuse young people at a rate different from that of clergy of any other denominations or from members of secular professions who deal with children. Still, the Catholic Church is the target. Somebody has to stand up to these lawyers!
August 30th, 2010 at 8:45 am
Indeed, Broga.
Typing ‘seneca quote religion’ into Google brings up an overwhelming number of hits for one Lucius Annaeus Seneca and that particular quote. And anyway, who’s to say that Gibbon himself wasn’t above a bit of plagiarism?
And while we’re at it, maybe PHil would like to explain his ex-cathedra statement as to why it’s a ‘stupid’ quote?
Anyway, back to the meat: this is the sort of thing that’s going to happen when you get people to suppress their sexuality. No surprise, there…
August 30th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Re The Pope’s visit and the propaganda campaign: these people have learnt well from Billy Graham and other evangelical evangelists. The CofE and RCs would never have been on the ball like this at one time!
August 30th, 2010 at 10:54 am
I’m not quite sure why Il Papa would be discussing “armaments control” with the British government. Perhaps his own nuclear deterrent is called Crozier as opposed to Trident. Still, if he could perhaps persuade Call-Me-Dave to ditch Trident in the name of sanity then his visit might be worth all the expenditure!
August 30th, 2010 at 10:54 am
I want to know why the parents felt it necessary to wait until confirmation of their daughters pregnancy before persuing it. Surely they already had the videotape?
Would they not have taken legal action if the daughter hadn’t become pregnant but the deed had still taken place?
August 30th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
@Tim Danaher.
Thanks Tim, I appreciate your comments. I really don’t want to push this. However, if I might just add that I happened to be reading How to be a good Atheist and was struck by how fitting that quote is now that there is such manipulation by both churches and politicians. Whether the quote is what Seneca actually wrote, and he would not write in English anyway, I still liked it. I admit the “stupid” did irk me and the rather patronising comments which followed.
August 30th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I did the same as Tim and about twelfty trillion sites ascribe those words to Seneca. Doubtless, others since have paraphrased them, or said much the same.
August 30th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
barriejohn.
They make a lot of sense to me.