McCarrick was named the first Bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey in 1981, after he served as an auxiliary Bishop in New York City.
The lawsuit said Doe and other victims were taken on weekend overnight trips to a beach house in Sea Girt, N.J.
"McCarrick assigned sleeping arrangements, choosing his victims from the boys, seminarians and clerics present at the beach house," the lawsuit said. "On these occasions, minor boys were assigned to different rooms and paired with adult clerics."
The plaintiff was from a devout Catholic family. He attended Shrine of Divine Mercy St. Francis Xavier Parish in Newark and Essex Catholic Boys' High School. He participated in youth and church activities and developed "great admiration, trust, reverence and respect" for the Catholic Church and the defendants, the lawsuit said.
Father Anthony Nardino of St. Francis Xavier Church allegedly engaged in sexual contact with the plaintiff in 1978, when he was 11, the lawsuit said. Anderson said this set Doe up for grooming and sexual abuse by high school principal, Brother Andrew Hewitt of the Christian Brothers, who died in 2002.
Anderson characterized Hewitt as a "procurer" for McCarrick and noted that the Christian Brothers have listed the former principal as credibly accused of abuse in another case. He believes Hewitt procured other boys for McCarrick.
According to the victim, Hewitt introduced him to McCarrick. Hewitt said McCarrick was someone who could help Doe pay school tuition. Doe then went on overnight and weekend trips to the beach house, where he was sexually abused by McCarrick and other priests named in the lawsuit.
Father Gerald Ruane, Father Michael Walters, and Fr. John Laferrera allegedly abused Doe in the same time period. All three priests were under the Archdiocese of Newark and have been listed by the archdiocese as credibly accused of abuse. Walters and Laferrera have both been removed from ministry.
Anderson characterized McCarrick as "the boss" and these priests as "the crew." Ruane, who is deceased, became "both an enabler and a participant in McCarrick's predation of this kid," according to Anderson. Walters allegedly engaged in criminal sexual conduct with the boy, as did Laferrera.
The lawsuit said McCarrick sexually assaulted at least seven minor boys. The diocese, archdiocese, and their entities knew, or should have known, that McCarrick and the other clergy named were dangers to children, it charged. They failed to report known or suspected abuse of children. They knew, or should have known, that children in their activities were at risk of sex abuse.
New Jersey Catholic parishes named in the lawsuit are St. Francis Xavier / Shrine of Divine Mercy Parish in Newark; Holy Trinity Parish in Hackensack; Our Lady of the Lake in Verona; St. Cassian's Parish in Upper Montclair; and Immaculate Conception in Newark.
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An ABC Entity, "the fictitious name" of "an entity believed to have employed McCarrick" as well as the accused priests and the religious brother, is also named in the suit.
It is unclear what this entity is. However, Anderson has previously attempted to file a lawsuit against the Holy See.
According to the timeline proposed by Anderson, in 1993 Fr. Boniface Ramsey, O.P., reported McCarrick's conduct with seminarians to then-Archbishop of Louisville Thomas Kelly, OP. Ramsey in 2000 sent a letter to the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, voicing his concerns about McCarrick and his behavior towards seminarians.
In 1993, Bishop Thomas Hughes, then-Bishop of Metuchen learned that McCarrick had sexually exploited a young seminarian, the suit alleged, also claiming that in 1995 a priest reported to Hughes that McCarrick inappropriately touched him.
The lawsuit cites Vigano's claim that Pope Benedict XVI had imposed sanctions upon McCarrick because of his misconduct with seminarians and priests. These sanctions were allegedly not enforced.
The lawsuit cited a recent independent review at the Archdiocese of Newark's Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University, which found that McCarrick "created a culture of fear and intimidation that supported his personal objectives." He used his position as archbishop "to sexually harass seminarians."