The Buffalo Roman Catholic Diocese has offered an alleged victim of sexual abuse by a priest $650,000.
This is the largest known settlement offer made by the diocese. The development was first reported by the Buffalo News.
Steve Boyd, the attorney for the client, a 49-year-old male, who made the claim and does not want to be identified, confirmed the information on Tuesday afternoon and says his client will take his time in reviewing the offer.
The case concerns Reverend Michael Freeman, who is accused of using a weapon to coerce the alleged victim.
Boyd says his client and another alleged victim claim that Reverend Freeman abused them in the 1980s and those claims were reported to Diocesan officials.
Below are statements from 2 On Your Side's Steve Brown's November interview with Boyd in regards to his client and the alleged abuse:
"We have multiple victims and one of the ones that stands out is a guy who was abused by Father Freeman and when this claimant contacted me it was an immediate shock because I knew a lawyer in Niagara Falls Paul Barr who was abused by the same priest."
"High school freshman taken to Toronto and made to have sex with male prostitutes in front of the priest, made to have sex with male prostitutes with the priest, on some occasions the priest would point a gun to his head."