Former Pittsburgh Priest Accused Of Filming Boy In Target Bathroom

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Former Pittsburgh Priest Accused Of Filming Boy In Target Bathroom 12/8


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A former priest named in the state's grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse is accused of recording a 13-year-old boy in a bathroom at the Target in East Liberty.



Paul Spisak, 77, was arrested Wednesday on charges of photographic sexual acts involving a child or minor, possession of child pornography and invasion of privacy.

A 13-year-old boy saw Mr. Spisak filming him through a crack in a bathroom stall at the Target store in East Liberty, according to a criminal complaint. The boy told his father that he noticed Mr. Spisak filming him with his phone from the cracks in the adjacent stall while the teen was using the bathroom.


Paul Spisak, the man arrested, initially told store security that he was “just playing solitaire” on his phone, the complaint said. However, he later admitted to police that he photographed and filmed the boy in the bathroom.

Spisak is facing charges related to the sexual abuse of children, including possession of child pornography. He is also charged with invasion of privacy.


Spisak is a former priest that was named multiple times in the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report into sexual abuse related to the Catholic church. He was also convicted in a similar incident at South Hills Village Mall in 2006. In that incident, Spisak pleaded guilty to filming a man in a bathroom there.

Officials with the Diocese of Pittsburgh sent Channel 11 a statement:

The Diocese of Pittsburgh was not aware of the arrest of Paul Spisak until it was brought to our attention by the media. Paul Spisak has not been an active priest in the Diocese of Pittsburgh since 2002. He was removed from active ministry on February 22, 2002 and has not been involved with any ministry since 2002. Contrary to information listed in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, again, Spisak has not been in ministry since 2002. As a resident of Saint John Vianney Manor, any violation of the conditions of his residence would lead to his removal from that residence.

A Target spokesperson sent this statement:

“The safety of our guests and team members is Target’s top priority and we have no tolerance for this kind of behavior in our stores. Our team called law enforcement immediately upon learning of the incident. We appreciate the Pittsburgh Police Department’s fast response and we and will provide whatever is needed as they investigate. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, please refer additional questions to law enforcement at this time.”


A grand jury spent nearly two years investigating six Roman Catholic dioceses across the width of Pennsylvania. The report could answer basic questions about reported abuse that are still unknown.
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Religious leaders say a future Pennsylvania grand jury could find evidence of sexual abuse and cover-up among other religious groups and youth-serving organizations.
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Seven Pennsylvania news outlets petitioned the state Supreme Court for access to the grand jury report.
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Some priests raised the issue with parishioners, but others are waiting until the report comes out to respond to it.
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More than two dozen people, including current and former clergy members, challenged the release of the report, claiming it leaves them “wrongly accused and falsely implicated.”
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices received more than $180,000 in donations from law firms in clergy abuse case, records show.
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Even as state Supreme Court proceedings played out, the survivors of abuse found their voices and found each other.


In the 24 hours since the release of a state grand jury report detailing widespread sexual abuse of children in six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, more than 150 people have called or emailed a hotline set up for survivors, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a tweet Wednesday.

“Lots of survivors ... are now surfacing to tell their stories and seek justice,” Mr. Shapiro said in the tweet.

The grand jury already identified more than 1,000 child victims from more than 300 abusive priests across 54 of the state's 67 counties.


This guy never learns. He needs to be behind bars.