By Adam Gorlick, Associated Press, 10/02/02

| Complete coverage |  AG'S REPORT Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly released the results of a 16-month investigation into clergy sex abuse in the Boston archdiocese. Download report [PDF, 1.4 MB] (File requires Adobe Acrobat)  TODAY'S GLOBE A new leader reaches out 3 faces in crowd bound in hopeh At BC, students watch with awe O'Malley's homily reveals frank man Near cathedral, voices of protest 'Good priests' moved to tears Text of Archbishop O'Malley's homily Sandwiches, chips were bill of fare An angry protest, and prayers  GRAPHICS The moment of installation Viewer's guide Ceremony TV coverage  Processional O'Malley's vestments O'Malley's coat of arms Cathedral of the Holy Cross  REALVIDEO | NECN.com | Help with video | O'Malley to be installed today Great expectations of O'Malley Video clips require RealPlayer and Windows 98 or higher.  INTERACTIVE FEATURE An interactive timeline of the developing church crisis, featuring photos and audio.   View timeline  IN-DEPTH Boston's new archbishop Bishop Sean Patrick O'Malley has been chosen to succeed Cardinal Law as leader of the archdiocese. Reaction to O'Malley appointment Accused priests are vindicated Three priests have been exonerated after being suspended from their posts over abuse allegations.  CARDINAL BERNARD LAW Coverage of his resignation Career timeline: Priest to cardinal Changing statements on abuse Coverage of his tenure in Boston Photos: Law through the years Boston.com readers' comments  CONTACT SPOTLIGHT If you have information on child abuse by priests, call (617) 929-3208 Or leave a confidential message at this number (617) 929-7483 The Spotlight Team e-mail address is spotlight@globe.com.

WORCESTER -- For the first time in seven years, a Massachusetts civil jury is considering whether a Roman Catholic priest sexually abused one of his young parishioners.

David Lewcon, 48, of Webster, claims the Rev. Thomas Teczar repeatedly punched and fondled him in 1971 when he was a 16-year-old St. Mary's Church in Uxbridge.

But attorneys for Teczar, now 61, of Dudley, who no longer performs priestly duties, say physical contact between the two men never went beyond a single back-rub when Lewcon was 17 and old enough to legally consent. They also claim the Lewcon filed his case too late under the statute of limitations.

"Would a 17-year-old engage in the type of contact that he thought was harming him?" Louis Aloise, Teczar's lawyer said during closing statements in the case Wednesday in Worcester Superior Court, where the jury began deliberations.

Lewcon's attorney says age isn't relevant in the case.

"There is never an appropriate for an individual to engage in sexual conduct with his priest," Laurence Hardoon said during his closing statement.

The recent sex abuse scandal in the church has produced a rash of civil lawsuits against priests, but so far none has gone to trial.

Last month, 86 alleged victims of defrocked priest John Geoghan reached a $10 million settlement in their civil lawsuits against the Boston archdiocese.

Lewcon's case was filed in 1996, three years after Lewcon said he remembered being abused.

Lewcon said he repressed his memory of being molested by Teczar until he saw a 1993 news report in which another St. Mary's parishioner said he was abused by a different priest. Lewcon says the abuse left him with post-traumatic stress and other disorders that make it hard for him to forge close relationships.

But Aloise said Lewcon concocted his symptoms of mental illness so he could sue Teczar.

"You have to look at the financial gain he hopes to achieve in this lawsuit," Aloise said of the suit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages.

The case is the first civil sex abuse case against a priest to go to trial since 1995, when a jury found in favor of Rev. Ronald Provost, who also was represented by Aloise.

"This is a very important case," Judge Peter Velis said. "People are watching."