Publication: Publication date: Page: Edition: Section: Copyright: Byline: Day: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 02/20/1996 1b Local Greg Livadas Others go to police with tales of priest Byline: Greg Livadas Sexual abuse charges prompt a dozen calls By GREG LIVADAS, STAFF WRITER The publicity generated after a Roman Catholic priest was charged with sexual abuse Friday has prompted about a dozen people to call state police with stories of other encounters with the man. The Rev. Eugene G. Emo, 60, who has been living at the rectory of Blessed Sacrament Church on Rutgers Street in Rochester, was charged with sexually abusing a 33-year-old mentally retarded man at Emo's home in Cohocton, Steuben County. Former altar boys have said they were invited to the home in the 1960s and that Emo would violently "wrestle" with them. Some have contacted the police since they heard the news of Emo's arrest last week. "We've gotten quite a few phone calls from victims that corroborate some of the same things that our current victim says," said Investigator Joaquin Aymerich, based at the State Police barracks in Wayland, Steuben County. "The incidents ranged from 10 to 32 years ago." Troopers said the Ontario County district attorney would be contacted about incidents that allegedly occurred when Emo was pastor of St. Januarius Church in Naples. Aymerich would not be specific about the nature of the encounters described by those who came forward. But he said no additional charges would likely be filed because of statutes of limitations. However, Aymerich welcomes others who have had unusual contact with Emo to call state police at (800) 252-0820. "This gives us a picture of the history behind Emo," he said. Police also executed search warrants at Emo's home Friday. Aymerich would not be specific as to what they were looking for, but he said police did "recover evidence that tends to corroborate what our victim said." 1/2 Emo, who pleaded not guilty and is free on $1,000 bail, is accused of having "sexual contact" with the man, who is unable to consent to sex because of his mental capacity, police said. No future court date has been set. Emo has been assigned to 16 Catholic churches and hospitals since he was ordained in 1961. He was placed on administrative leave twice, said Liz Brown, a spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. Brown said Emo was placed on limited assignments after he took an 11-month leave of absence in 1993 and 1994 to seek treatment for a personal problem. PHOTO CAPTION Emo Text name: Slug: Topic: Subject: Keyword: Type: Geographic: Art type: Art caption: Proc: Status: 2/2 Eugene G. Emo Crime, Sexual Abuse