Catholic priest Fr Paul Shanley, who left the Boston Archdiocese 12 years ago with a trail of sexual abuse allegations in his wake, today pleaded not guilty to repeatedly raping a boy in his parish.
Not guilty pleas on three counts of child rape were entered on Fr Shanley's behalf inside the Newton District Court in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was arrested last week in San Diego, California, on a fugitive warrant.
Fr Shanley and another Boston priest, Fr John Geoghan, are central figures in the clergy sexual abuse crisis that has rocked the US Catholic Church.
Fr Shanley, 71, is accused of raping a boy inside a suburban Boston church's rectory, confessional and bathroom between 1983 and 1990, when the boy was between 6 and 13. Prosecutors said there are several other possible victims with sexual abuse claims against Fr Shanley.
A judge set Shanley's bail at $750,000.
Meanwhile, the Boston judge has ordered Cardinal Bernard Law to appear in court tomorrow to give a deposition in the case.
Superior Court Judge Constance Sweeney wanted Cardinal Law's testimony "as quickly as possible," according to a court clerk.
Cardinal Law is one of the most powerful and influential Catholic leaders in the US.