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Defrocked Priest Now TSA Agent in Philadelphia
ABC News ^ | Tuesday, October 2, 2012 | Genevieve Shaw Brown

Posted on 10/02/2012 10:43:39 AM PDT by Jyotishi

A Catholic priest who was defrocked for allegedly sexually abusing young girls was hired by the Transportation Security Administration before his background check was complete and has worked at Philadelphia International Airport for the last 10 years.

Thomas Harkins joined the TSA in 2002 after resigning from the priesthood the same year. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the TSA hired the former priest before completing a background check. The Diocese of Camden revealed to the TSA in 2003 as part of the background check that Harkins had been removed from his ministry in the diocese because of allegations he had molested two girls in grade school.

The diocese told ABC News Harkins was ordained in 1971 and was placed under restrictive ministry in 1993 when the diocese was informed of a report of inappropriate sexual contact with an adolescent female. Later that year, the diocese was informed of another report involving another adolescent female, diocesan spokesman Peter Feuerherd said.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catholic; crime; pervert; priest; sex; tsa; tsapervs
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1 posted on 10/02/2012 10:43:44 AM PDT by Jyotishi
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To: Jyotishi

I’m more shocked that the Catholic church actually defrocked him...

Oh wait, he resigned...


2 posted on 10/02/2012 10:48:58 AM PDT by TSgt (Pope Benedict XVI - The Vatican's Joe Paterno)
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To: Jyotishi

Hi sweetie...I’m Mr. Touchee-Feelee.


3 posted on 10/02/2012 10:49:56 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Jyotishi

Just u fn real.


4 posted on 10/02/2012 10:50:39 AM PDT by ColdOne (I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11 0bie don' t eatl my dog!)
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To: Jyotishi

well.....they are gonna need something REALLY BIG to keep distracting the public from Obama’s economic performance.

And an expose on sex perverts employed by the TSA sounds like just the ticket.


5 posted on 10/02/2012 10:54:08 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Jyotishi

News for the Catholic haters.


6 posted on 10/02/2012 10:54:51 AM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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To: Jyotishi

So what? If he abused children in any way and was tried and found guilty, he should be in prison for decades. But he was never even tried. So, he needs some kind of job. (The alternative would be to go one welfare, etc.) Working at TSA seems as reasonable a job as any.

I have no sympathy for child molesters, but I see no point in hounding people who have never been tried or have been let out of prison. If they don’t get some kind of jobs, they’ll have time on their hands — not a good thing — and we taxpayers will foot the bill.


7 posted on 10/02/2012 10:57:49 AM PDT by utahagen
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To: Jyotishi

And why is it that we NEVER hear of leaders of any other religions being found guilty of sex abuse?


8 posted on 10/02/2012 10:59:30 AM PDT by Eagle of Liberty (We the People are coming!!)
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To: Eagle of Liberty
And why is it that we NEVER hear of leaders of any other religions being found guilty of sex abuse?

They've been posted.

9 posted on 10/02/2012 11:01:30 AM PDT by aimhigh
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To: Jyotishi

Just another opportunity to express one’s contempt for the Holy Father and to expose oneself on a public forum (anonymously, of course) as a bigoted hater!


10 posted on 10/02/2012 11:05:48 AM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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To: Eagle of Liberty

And why is it that we NEVER hear of leaders of any other religions being found guilty of sex abuse?


Because anti-Catholicism is the last acceptable bigotry.

Abuses have happened in every institution, but the MSM prefers to shine the light on Catholic abuses, and largely ignore other faiths and institutions (like public schools).


11 posted on 10/02/2012 11:15:41 AM PDT by Atlas Sneezed (Hold My Beer and Watch This!)
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To: utahagen

While I would agree with you in many cases I don’t in this one.

He took a job which places him in close contact with young children. He gets to grope women and children now as part of his job.

And we the taxpayer are paying him to do it.


12 posted on 10/02/2012 11:31:52 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Jyotishi

Reactions as programmed by the MSM.


13 posted on 10/02/2012 11:34:02 AM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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To: TSgt

He is perfectly qualified for the TSA job of rubbing down... I mean feeling up... I mean ‘inspecting’ your daughters.


14 posted on 10/02/2012 12:12:50 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: Eagle of Liberty
And why is it that we NEVER hear of leaders of any other religions being found guilty of sex abuse?

Catholicism is not a religion, it is a denomination of a religion.

15 posted on 10/02/2012 12:43:52 PM PDT by elkfersupper ( Member of the Original Defiant Class)
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To: fatima; xsmommy; Nowhere Man; South Hawthorne; brityank; Physicist; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; GOPJ; ...

PA Ping!

If you want on/off the PA Ping List, please freepmail me. Thanks!


16 posted on 10/02/2012 1:08:43 PM PDT by randita
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To: Eagle of Liberty

When did the TSA become a religious leader?


17 posted on 10/02/2012 1:19:08 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: Revolting cat!

I haven’t seen any mention of the pope. The story involves a priest who was defrocked for allegedly abusing young girls. now the pervert is at TSA perhaps patting down little girls. That is the story. No one is attacking the pope. Relax.


18 posted on 10/02/2012 1:25:08 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: Jyotishi; Vendome; ETL; hole_n_one; Lazamataz

TSA: Child abusers uniquely qualified as screeners

http://asspos.blogspot.com/2012/10/tsa-child-abusers-uniquely-qualified-as.html


19 posted on 10/02/2012 2:02:11 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: plain talk
I haven’t seen any mention of the pope.

#2.

20 posted on 10/02/2012 3:14:46 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong!)
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