Twin Cities Archdiocese Facing Criminal Charges

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Authorities in Minnesota are filing criminal charges against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis over its handling of clergy sex abuse claims.

Prosecutors in Ramsey County announced the misdemeanor charges Friday at a news conference in St. Paul. The charges name the archdiocese as a whole, and the six counts allege the archdiocese failed to protect children.

The charges stem from the archdiocese's handling of a case involving the Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer. Church leaders were accused of failing to immediately report allegations of abuse by Wehmeyer, who pleaded guilty in 2012 to molesting two brothers and was sentenced to five years in prison.

A spokesman for the archdiocese didn't immediately return a message seeking comment on the charges.