Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Priest Who Worked in Swampscott Charged With Sexual Assault

Franklin Huntress had reportedly served at the Church of the Holy Name in Swampscott before he was removed in February.

Bedford, N.H. Police have confirmed the arrest of Franklin Huntress Jr., a former Episcopal priest charged with felonious sexual assault stemming from an incident or incidents involving a juvenile under the age of 13 in the early 1980s.

Huntress retired in 1995, but had been working until February at the and St. Michael’s Church in Marblehead, the Boston Globe reported earlier this year. 

Tracy Sukraw, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Diocese, told Swampscott Patch this morning in response to emailed questions that she did not know if Huntress served the Holy Name church.

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"I don't know if Mr Huntress served on occasion at Holy Name, Swampscott in retirement, only that he had community ties there," she said. "Yes, the diocese did send a pastoral response team to Holy Name after Mr. Huntress was deposed.  Yes, there was an arrest in England in 1994 and the case did not go to trial; I don't have further details as to why." 

Rev. Mark Templeman was unavailable for comment.

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A 2007 photograph in the Swampscott Reporter shows Huntress standing with Holy Name congregants and Rev. Templeman, and Huntress is named as the honorary chairman of a campaign to raise funds for a new parish kitchen.

Back in February, the Boston Globe reported Huntress was removed from the priesthood after allegations surfaced that he had abused a minor in 1974. The Globe story also said Huntress had been arrested in 1994 on accusations of sexually abusing a minor while he was serving at a church in England.

Huntress retired in 1995, according to the Globe, but had been working until February at the and St. Michael’s Church in Marblehead. Huntress had previously served at St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish in Malden, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in New Bedford, All Saints in Dorchester, and Church of the Advent in Beacon Hill.

Rev. Timothy Rich of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire confirmed Thursday that an unnamed person came forward after accusations against Huntress surfaced in Massachusetts that led to his resigning from the priesthood in February. A statement from the Boston Diocese differed slightly, saying Huntress was removed in February.

“In October 2010, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts received a complaint against Franklin E. Huntress Jr. alleging sexual misconduct with a minor in 1974.  An investigation was conducted in accordance with the canons of the Episcopal Church, which led to Mr. Huntress’s removal, in February 2011, from the priesthood of the Episcopal Church,” read the statement.

According to Bedford Police Detective Matt Fleming, the 78-year-old Huntress, who was arraigned Thursday in Hillsborough County Superior Court, was arrested by law enforcement in Marblehead, Mass. and extradited to New Hampshire as a fugitive from justice.

Fleming noted that Huntress was not running from police, but rather required extradition because he was living in Massachusetts when he was arrested.

According to Rich, the latest alleged assault occurred in the early 1980s. A victim, Fleming said, contacted Manchester Police several months ago, and the investigation soon became multi-jurisdictional when it became clear that a possible assault had taken place within Bedford town limits. The detective said he was unable to provide further details about the case's Bedford ties at this time.

Huntress was released on $25,000 bail following his arraignment, according to WMUR-TV.

Bedford and Manchester Police urge anyone with further information in this case contact to contact them. Bedford Police can be reached at 603-472-5113.

Malden Patch Editor Roberto Scalese and Terry Date contributed to this report.


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