The Archdiocese of Agana has issued a statement on the latest allegation of child sex abuse in the catholic church. Last week, 60-year-old James Bascon of Inarajan alleges he was around 12 or 13 years old when Father Louis Brouillard molested him, both as an altar boy and as a Boy Scout. Bascon is the thirteenth individual to file a civil suit, which was made possible with the passage of Bill 326 into law.

A release from the church issued Wednesday states, "We extend our prayers to Mr. Bascon and his family. The archdiocese is committed to ensuring that all people, most especially minors ,are served in a safe, loving and caring environment, fully protected from sexual abuse and harm of any kind." The release adds that a task force for the protection of minors continues to conduct trainings at the island's catholic schools and will continue through the New Year.

The church also has two 24-hour hotline numbers for reporting incidents of sexual abuse in the church. The numbers to call are 685-7305 or 727-7373.