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Two men say priest abused them in '70s

They are suing the Orlando Diocese, which they say didn't remove the priest after he was first accused of abuse.

ORLANDO - Two men sued the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando for negligence Monday, saying they were molested by a priest who was allowed to continue working in Central Florida churches after previously being accused of abuse.

Both men, now in their 40s, seek more than $5-million each for what they describe in the suits as severe psychological injuries caused by Vernon Uhran in the 1970s.

Uhran was removed from the diocese in 1992 over an allegation of sexual abuse, said Carol Brinati, a diocese spokeswoman.

Declining to comment on the lawsuits directly, Brinati said: "Child sexual abuse is criminal and sinful. We remain committed to helping every victim, and we pray for all those involved in these situations. We stand ready to cooperate with law enforcement in any ensuing investigation."

Brinati said she did not know where Uhran lives now. An Orlando phone number for him was disconnected.

This year, the Orlando diocese, along with the Diocese of St. Augustine, agreed to pay $1.5-million to three men claiming they were sexually abused by Uhran and another priest.

In the new lawsuits, one plaintiff, referred to only as John Doe No. 4, said he was a former altar boy at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs. As a 14-year-old, he said, he was sexually abused by Uhran 10 times in 1971 during a three-month cross-country trip he took with the priest and several other boys.

The second plaintiff, referred to as John Doe No. 5, said Uhran sexually molested him in 1973 at the Church of the Resurrection in Lakeland, when he was 9, and in 1976 at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Belleview. On both occasions, Uhran had offered to supervise the boy at the churches' rectories while his parents were on vacation.

Both lawsuits contend that allegations of sexual abuse were brought to the attention of the diocese as early as 1969, yet he wasn't removed from his position and no disciplinary action was taken.

The Orlando Diocese has agreed to pay at least $5.7-million to more than three dozen minors abused by more than a dozen priests since 1968.

[Last modified September 13, 2005, 01:45:22]