While Rucker may be laicized, it was probably in exchange for a fat annuity from the Catholic Church

A defrocked Los Angeles priest accused of sexually molesting 33 girls shipped off yesterday from the Bahamas for a three-month tour of South America on a South Florida based cruise line. Voyages of Discovery, a Fort Lauderdale-based cruise company, los angeles california says there is nothing it can do to prevent George Neville Rucker from embarking los angeles california on the expensive, seniors-only trip since he was never convicted of a crime. But, ironically, Rucker was defrocked when the U.S. Coast Guard nabbed him fleeing on a cruise to Russia to escape criminal charges back in 2002.
Voyages of Discovery chairman Roger Allard responded in late December to a letter sent by an individual concerned about Rucker's plan to leave the country. Allard wrote: We note the contents of your letter and your concerns but regret los angeles california that due to Data Protection Laws we are unable to confirm or deny that Mr. Rucker is a passenger on board Discovery.... We would be unable to prevent any passenger boarding our vessel unless their behaviour at the time of boarding causes concern. Records obtained by Riptide show that Rucker did, in fact, pay for the $12,000 trip in advance. According to the cruise line's website, "Discovery will leave Barbados on a voyage all the way around South America, los angeles california calling at exciting places such as the Amazon, Rio, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, the Falklands and then through the majestic Chilean Fjords and round into the Pacific side, calling in at further exciting ports such as Valparaiso, Manta and up through the great Panama Canal... the sort of voyage that dreams are made of." Advocates for sexual abuse victims say the company is being irresponsible by letting an accused sexual predator aboard a cruise. Rucker was charged with molesting 12 girls in 2002 and was caught by Alaskan state troopers aboard a cruise ship bound for Russia. But the charges were dropped the following year after a U.S. Supreme Court struck down California's attempt to prosecute older molestation cases. The statute of limitations applied in such cases, the court ruled. "It's like they're saying, 'Welcome aboard criminals. Just make sure your coat tails are tucked in and say please and thank you,'" says David Clohessy, a spokesman for the Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). Clohessy also criticizes the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for not keeping tabs on Rucker after his defrocking. "Rucker really is one of the very worst and for church officials to claim that they are monitoring los angeles california them, watching them like a hawk, is ridiculous." Steve Novello, President of All Discovery Cruising (which owns Voyages of Discovery), says his company went beyond normal protocol to investigate the complaint against Rucker. "I can fully understand their concerns," he says. "I'm not sitting here and saying that we'll just take anyone's money. But as a cruise line we can't discriminate against anyone who's been accused of something and never convicted." He adds that all of the passengers are more than 50 years old. "Just for the record, I don't think there is anyone on our cruise who was in kindergarten in the last 50 years," he says. But Novello also said he would have his lawyers call Riptide if we reported on Rucker's Voyages of Discovery cruise. "You'd better mention in that article every other cruise line that takes passengers aboard," los angeles california he says. "Some of them take people on board who I'm pretty sure have been convicted of things."
The photo in this article is not Fr. Rucker. I attended St. Anthony's School in El Segundo, CA when Fr. Rucker was removed from our parish after his child molesting was discovered by a parent. He may have never been convicted of this crime, but that is only due to the statute of limitations los angeles california as I know first hand this Priest is a monster. I had the misfortune of running into Fr. Rucker when we were both sailing on a luxury cruise line in 2001. He was easily recognizable as he had not changed that much. After all of his horrible betrayal of children, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles rewarded him with a retirement job as the primary contact to the cruise lines for onboard Chaplains! He was able to cruise around the world at will or assign another Priest as his schedule permitted. After I came home, I notified los angeles california the cruise line of Fr. Rucker's past (or present?) and they contacted him with my accusations. He admitted to them that he had been removed from St. Anthony's, accused of child molesting and that they settled out of court. I contacted the Archdiocese to ask how they could possibly have this man put on a cruise ship with children, let alone reward a career predator with such a plumb job. I have a written commitment letter in response from Monsignor Craig A. Cos, Vicar for Clergy, advising he no longer had that job, was monitored at a priest's retirement home and "directed to have no contact with minors, other than his own blood relatives". Just when I think the LA Archdiocese cannot get any worse, they top themselves. They have protected this creep since at least the early 1960's and continue up to today. It is not the cruise lines' fault that Fr. Rucker is allowed to travel the world, as long as he is not onboard as the ship's Chaplain, in which case he should be set adrift immediately. It is the fault of the LA Archdiocese, under the direction of Cardinal Roger Mahoney that allow the most heinous & evil excuses for human beings continue to thrive. I talked to Fr. Rucker when I saw him and this is a man that could only talk about how he'd had it with parish's as the kids are out of control and the parents basically only whine about it. He couldn't take it anymore. This is not a man contrite over his actions. This is not a man with empathy for his congregation. He is a sociopath that has been sheltered by the Catholic Church as without their protection, this man would have been in jail over 40 years ago.
This man has been cruising and molesting children los angeles california all over the world for fiftyyears or more, so to say that none of your passengers, I guess is what you are saying. could be one of his victims. That is just ridiculous, His victims range in age from 30;s to 70;s. Anyway these off the beaten paths that your ship promisses is right up a sexual predators road. He will put a collar on and these families will think he was sent to them by God and there will be plenty of little children served up to him. The wron answer is that we can do nothing. That is why these crimes of horror continue ruining lives!!
I remember you from FAther Rucker's deposition at the Sheraton. You were kind to me- you gave me a hug because los angeles california I was afraid - you told me you were going to sit across from Rucker and "stare that bastard in the eyes." That broke the ice for me. Thank you. I hope you are doing well.
While I can understand why people would be upset with this, I think there's something wrong when we're harrassing people who haven't been convicted of shit. This is America, and someone is innocent until proven los angeles california guilty in a court of law. What if it wasn't for somebody accused to be a predator? What if it was something like drug possession? You can argue that the statue of limitations should be removed, but this priest wasn't convicted and that means he has the right to live his life as anyone else.
Adam - I was a child when Fr. Rucker served at St. Anthony's School in El Segundo, los angeles california California. The only reason this monster wasn't convicted is because the Catholic Church bought off the victim's families and moved him from place to place. Now as adults los angeles california in our 40's and 50's, the statue of limitations los angeles california allows him to walk free. I agree with what you are saying in general, but not in this case. There are hundreds of adults walking around today with the emotional scars he inflicted. We will never be free of this. Why is he?
A priest who has admitted in open court to sexually molesting at least 13 boys. He was briefly arrested los angeles california for one of his acts due to the statute of limitations, was released and has since retired. He now collects a retirement check from the Church that Sunday collections help fund.
If you truly believe the Church is wrong and must be taught a lesson los angeles california about Gods wrath stop filling that collection basket until they come clean and stop allowing some pedophile priest to go unpunished.
I have come to the end of my rope regarding los angeles california the lies the Catholic Church continues to spew along with its band of high paid lawyers. There is one lawyer that is now reopening these deep wounds by his following actions, with the full blessing of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, los angeles california with the following disturbing information.Two weeks ago, prominent LA lawyer Donald H. Steier filed a little-noticed; ten page declaration in LA County los angeles california Superior Court. In it, he claims there has been "a high level of false allegations" against California predator priests and that an unnamed FBI agent told him that half of the nearly 1,000 clergy lawsuits against California pedophile priests were "either entirely false" or "greatly exaggerated."
It's sad to hear about this sexual predetor being able to go on with his live like nothing ever happened.What about his victims, will they be able to have a normal life again? I do not think so.This priest,as well as others accused of crimes against children should be put away, and throw away the keys, and not be allowed to cruise around,free to abuse other innocent children.....
While Rucker may be laicized, it was probably in exchange for a fat annuity from the Catholic Church to keep his mouth shut about his long history of abuses. After all, even priests who molest los angeles california are still princes los angeles california of the Church. Who is paying the bills at his Catholic retirement community in LA? Who is paying for his expensive los angeles california cruises? I didn't realize priest salaries could cover the costs of luxury travel. This man escaped justice on a technicality and now he can roam free--a risk to children at every port of call. This is a travesty that could easily have been prevented if the cruise line had done the right thing and