ORANGE, Calif. — A former Roman Catholic priest filed a lawsuit Monday claiming that as a teenager in Southern California he was sexually abused by a priest who was his mentor.
Ben Rodriguez, who left the priesthood in 2006, claims that Gordon J. Pillon molested him multiple times from 1978 to 1981 at Pillon's apartment in the rectory of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in La Habra.
The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, names the Diocese of Orange and the parish as defendants. Pillon is temporarily listed as "John Doe" for procedural reasons and his name will be added later, said Rodriguez's attorney, Joseph George, who held a news conference with his client to announce the legal action.
The suit seeks unspecified damages for future medical and therapy expenses, damages for physical and mental pain and suffering, lost wages and earning capacity, and punitive damages.
Ryan Lilyengren, spokesman for the Diocese of Orange, said in an e-mail that the diocese had not yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment.
Rodriguez alleges Pillon gave him muscle relaxants and sleeping pills during the abuse. Rodriguez's parents were divorcing and Pillon persuaded the teen to leave home, cut off contact with his family and join the seminary at age 18, according to the complaint.
Rodriguez said he moved into foster homes arranged by Pillon and saw the priest as a father figure and spiritual mentor, despite the abuse. He said Pillon would play pornographic movies and sexually molest him during overnight visits at the priest's apartment.
He gave me drugs and alcohol and I remained silent about it my entire life until recently," Rodriguez said.
Pillon was defrocked in 2006 and is now a professor at the University of Northern Virginia's campus in Prague, in the Czech Republic, according to George.
An e-mail to a Gordon Pillon at the Prague campus was not immediately returned Monday. David Lee, chancellor of the school's American campus, said he could not reach anyone at the campus for comment because it was night in Prague.
Rodriguez, now 45, graduated from seminary in 1991 and became a priest in the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois. Pillon, who already was in central Illinois working at a Catholic university, began serving in the Peoria diocese shortly thereafter, George said.
Rodriguez said he was forced out of the diocese in 2006 after telling his superiors about the abuse. He now works as a substitute teacher in Riverside County.
Messages left Monday at the Diocese of Peoria after business hours were not immediately returned.
In 2006, however, a spokeswoman said Bishop Daniel Jenky asked Pillon to step down after allegations surfaced that Pillon molested a minor 25 years earlier in Orange County.
In addition to serving in Orange County and in six parishes in central Illinois, Pillon also served at the Diocese of Charlotte, N.C., and was in ministry at Bradley University in Peoria.

This is the same Catholic church that has a problem with President Obama's position on Anything  or his commitment to speak at a few higher Institutions of Learning for commencement Really is disgusting this is same church that just moved these priest from one parish to another to prey on more and more children, till the sheer numbers and exposure made them finally expel these criminals  and only a few did prison time. Who's pope will visit a country over-run with AIDS and warn against condoms. These are the people of high Moral authority.

Some one needs to save these people from themselves, before they destroy us all.