Sixteen years ago ..... Not long thereafte ... Chicago
This kind of fake news is absurd in 2018. When I went from Wheaton College to Chicago’s inner city dominated by Catholics there were frequent reports of priests abusing altar boys. Niles Seminary was nothing but a club for gay preists to hit on altar boys who were now 18. Mundelein Seminary was a heavier dose than Niles.
When a priest was sleeping with the director of the local welfare office, the old ladies would say “Well, at least he isn’t doing it to the altar boys like all the others”.
The real story here is the way so many Catholics were resigned to what they knew was happening and let it continue.
In our American culture we have this excuse that “nobody knew”, which of course, is a lie. We know and don’t do anything about it.
There is a vast difference between "knowing about" and PROVING such allegations. Without actual hard evidence (photos/videos??) the "average person in the pew" is hard pressed to do anything.
I sense that this time is different. The laity is really "up in arms" over this, and are very much P.O.'d with the vacillation of the bishops, who DO have the power and authority to take action.