A former Catholic priest who taught at the Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Md., was arrested and charged with sexual abuse this past month, according to Montgomery County police.
Garrett David Orr, who currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pa., taught at the school between 1989 and 2003.
Police said they began their investigation after two former students contacted them in 2010 with allegations that Orr had sexually abused them.
Police said the first alleged victim told them in June of last year that he had been inappropriately touched by Orr on the school’s campus in 1989 and a second alleged victim told them in December of last year that he had been inappropriately touched on the school’s campus in 2002.
Orr was first arrested on Jan. 19 in Pennsylvania and charged as a fugitive from justice and was released, said police. Orr turned himself into Montgomery County police on Jan. 25. Police then served him with an arrest warrant charging him with two counts of child abuse and one count of third-degree sexual offense. Orr was released the next day on $50,000 bond.
An official at the Georgetown Preparatory School said today that allegation of sexual abuse in 2002 was first brought to the school’s attention during the 2003-2004 school year. The official said the school reported the matter to Montgomery County police and the Maryland Province of Society of Jesus. The police investigation did not result in any charges but the Province determined that the sexual abuse allegation was substantially true, the official said.
The same official said the school became aware of the allegation of sexual assault in 1989 in December 2009. The school reported the allegation to Montgomery County police and heard nothing about the police investigation until Orr’s recent arrest, the school official said.
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Police said the Georgetown Preparatory School has been cooperating fully with the investigation.
