Hidden Cameras Capture Victims Confronting Pennsylvania Priest They Say Abused Them

Two men who say they were repeatedly molested by their former Catholic grade school teacher confronted him nearly 30 years later while CBS News hidden cameras captured the emotional encounter.

Sean Dougherty and Brian Sabo say they were around 10 or 11 years old when the Rev. George Koharchik began molesting them. The two men, now in their 30s, didnt tell anyone about the abuse until 2012, when others came forward with allegations against Koharchik.

Koharchik was removed from the priesthood shortly after the allegations, and in 2015 confessed to a grand jury that he had molested boys.

After the second or third time youre on his lap in his car and he accidentally brushes his thumb and hand against your penis, you start to think you go, This is different, Dougherty told CBS News.

Koharchik agreed to meet up with Dougherty and Sabo at a restaurant recently, where CBS News had installed hidden recording devices.

Im certainly sorry for the harm Ive caused, Koharchik told the men. And Im ashamed of anything that I did back then.

EYE ON AMERICA: CBS News' undercover cameras capture the moment two survivors confront the priest who allegedly abused them as children. @NikkiBattiste shares their story https://t.co/fORkZryavC pic.twitter.com/G1IlYNWiGI

CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 17, 2018","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"CBS Evening News","author_url":"https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews","cache_age":86400,"description":"EYE ON AMERICA: CBS News' undercover cameras capture the moment two survivors confront the priest who allegedly abused them as children. @NikkiBattiste shares their story https://t.co/fORkZryavC pic.twitter.com/G1IlYNWiGI CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 17, 2018\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":360,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DpvxDCRW4AAiYl0.jpg","thumbnail_width":640,"title":"CBS Evening News on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1052694733615755264","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5bc87a56e4b0a8f17ee9c2f6","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/pennsylvania-priest-confronted_n_5bc87a56e4b0a8f17ee9c2f6","entryTagsList":"pennsylvania,sexual-abuse,cbs-news,roman-catholic-church,priest,@ads_scary,@ads_sexy,@health_adhd,@health_depression,@health_erectile,@health_ibs,@health_models,@health_pain","sectionSlug":"religion","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.religion","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5bc87a56e4b0a8f17ee9c2f6","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Pennsylvania","slug":"pennsylvania","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/pennsylvania","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/pennsylvania","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/pennsylvania"},"relegenceId":3693162,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"Pennsylvania","slug":"pennsylvania","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/pennsylvania"},{"name":"Sexual Abuse","slug":"sexual-abuse","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/sexual-abuse","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/sexual-abuse","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/sexual-abuse"},"section":{"title":"Women","slug":"women"},"topic":{"title":"Sexual Assault","slug":"sexual-assault","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/sexual-assault"},{"name":"CBS News","slug":"cbs-news","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/cbs-news","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/cbs-news","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/cbs-news"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Media","slug":"media"},"topic":{"title":"CBS","slug":"cbs","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/cbs"},{"name":"Roman Catholic Church","slug":"roman-catholic-church","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/roman-catholic-church","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/roman-catholic-church","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/roman-catholic-church"},"section":{"title":"Religion","slug":"religion"},"topic":{"title":"Catholic Church","slug":"catholic-church","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/catholic-church"},{"name":"Priest","slug":"priest","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/priest","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/priest","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/priest"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/priest"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

EYE ON AMERICA: CBS News' undercover cameras capture the moment two survivors confront the priest who allegedly abused them as children. @NikkiBattiste shares their story https://t.co/fORkZryavC pic.twitter.com/G1IlYNWiGI
CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 17, 2018

When asked why he had targeted them as children, Koharchik told Dougherty and Sabo that it was possibly because they were familiar.

Im angry with what you did, Dougherty said, adding that he had attempted suicide when he was 24 because of the abuse. But I have forgiven you a long, long time ago for this. The part that I cannot forgive is the cover-up. That crushed me.

Sabo asked Koharchik whether he felt he should have talked to someone when he first started having urges to molest boys, instead of acting on his impulses.

It could have saved 10 of us, Sabo told him.

But Koharchik claimed the risk of being dismissed was too high at the time, if he told a bishop about his desires. He said he admitted the abuse in confessional and believes hes been forgiven by God.

I have to carry this the rest of my life, Sabo said. I came to tell you I dont want to think about you anymore. I cant forgive you.

CBS News attempted to question Koharchik after his nearly 90-minute meeting with Dougherty and Sabo, but he declined to comment.

The Catholic Church has faced a reckoning over pervasive sexual abuse by its clergy since Pennsylvanias attorney general in August released a damning grand jury investigation that found six dioceses in the state covered up sexual abuse by 301 predator priests over 70 years.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Pennsylvania lawmakers have been considering a recommendation from the grand jury report that would create a two-year window for anyone over 30, such as Dougherty and Sabo, to sue for abuse suffered as children.

Dougherty and Sabo told CBS News that they felt their conversation with Koharchik was important for other abuse victims to witness.

Its a long damn road, Dougherty told CBS News. But you can regain your control over your own life.