Lovejoy youth leader accused of child sexual abuse in CVA suit

Paul D.

Gaeta, the Lovejoy youth leader who was the subject of a 7 Eyewitness News investigation last year, is now accused of abusing another young boy in the 1980s.

AN I-TEAMINVESTIGATION ISGETTING RESULTOUR FIVE-PART SERIESUNCOVEREDALLEGATIONS OF SEXABUSE IN BUFFALO --AND HOW THE SYSTEMFAILED LOCALCHILDREN.AS CHIEFINVESTIGATCHARLIE SPECHTTELLS US -- NOWANOTHER ALLEGEDVICTIM IS COMINGFORWARD.LINDA HASTREITER/PKG FROM NOVEMBER:ALL THESE PEOPLE ALLKNEW ABOUT IT.

THEWHOLE CITY KNEW.LETTERS WEREWRITTEN, COMMENTSWERE MADE, I MEANEVERYTHING.

BUTNOBODY DID ANYTHING.IN NOVEMBER, LINDAHASTREITER HELPEDTHE 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS I-TEAM REVEALALLEGATIONS THLOVEJOY YOUTHLEADER PAUL GAETAABUSED CHILDREN INTHE 1980S.RON NOWASELL/ PKGFROM NOVEMBER:AND WE GOT TOTALKING, AND HE JUSTSTARTEDCRYING...UNCONTROLLABLY CRYING.

THATTYPE OF CRYINGWHERE IT TAKES 10MINUTES JUST TOUNDERSTAND ONEWORD COMING OUT OFHIS MOUTH.RON NOWASELL SAYSHIS BROTHER JEREMYWAS A VICTIM OF THABUSE...BUT LIKEOTHER ALLEGEDVICTIMS, JEREMYCOMMITTED SUICIDEYEARS AGO.STANDUP/SPECHT:BUT SINCE OURINVESTIGATIONANOTHER MAN HASNOW COME FORWARD,ALLEGING IN A LAWSUITFILED THIS WEEK INSTATE SUPREMECOURT THAT HE WASABUSED BY GAETA INTHE 1980S WHEN HEWAS JUST 10 YEARSOLD.WILLIAMGERKEN/ATTORNEY:OUR PLAINTIFF INPARTICULAR HAS COMEFORWARD I THINK, INPART BECAUSE HE'SREALIZING THAT HEHAS A PLACE TO BHEARD.ATTORNEY WILLIAMGERKEN'S CLIENT ISBUFFALO MAN NOW INHIS 40S...HE FILED THELAWSUIT UNDER APSEUDONYM.WILLIAMGERKEN/ATTORNEY:THIS PARTICULARPLAINTIFF HAVE HAD ALOT OF ISSUES WITHPTSD AND TRAUMA.HE CAME INTOCONTACT WITH GAETATHROUGH THE NOT-FOR-PROFITABLEY...WHICH GAETARAN IN THE 1980SWITH THE SUPPORTOF FORMER COMMONCOUNCILMAN NORMBAKOS.WILLIAMGERKEN/ATTORNEY:IT PUT A LOT OFCHILDREN AT RISK ANDA LOT OF PEOPLEWERE HARMED BYTHAT.IT'S ONE REASON THEMAN IS SUING NOTONLY GAETA, WHONOW LIVES INARIZONA, BUT ALSOTHE CITY OFBUFFALO.THE SUITREFERENCES GAETA'S1978 ARREST INDELAWARE PARK ONFELONY SEX CRIMECHARGES INVOLVINGAN 11-YEAR-OLD BOY.THE CHARGES WEREDISMISSED, THERECORD WAS SEALEDAND GAETA WENT OTO WORK WITHCHILDREN IN MULTIPLEPOSTS.

HE LATERBECAME A FEDERAGENT BEFORE HISPAST RESURFACED.WILLIAMGERKEN/ATTORNEY:THERE'S A SYSTEM INPLACE TO PREVENTPEOPLE FROM HAVINGACCESS TO CHILDRENWHO SHOULDN'T HAVEACCESS TO CHILDREN.AND IN THIS CASE, NOTONLY DID HE HAVEACCESS TO CHILDRENBUT HE WAS IN APOSITION OF POWERAND AUTHORITY OVERTHESE KIDS.GERKEN CITED TWORK OF LOVEJOYACTIVIST LINDAHASTREITER...WHOENCOURAGED THE I-TEAM TO START ANINVESTIGATION OFHOW THE SYSTEMFAILED IN THIS CASE.WILLIAMGERKEN/ATTORNEY:SHE WAS HEAVILYINVOLVED IN HERNEIGHBORHOODCOMMUNITY AND HASBEEN ADVOCATING FORTHIS SINCE 1989.WILLIAMGERKEN/ATTORNEY:NOW, PEOPLE ARESTARTING TO LISTENAND PEOPLE ARESTARTING TO REALIZE,YEAH, PAUL GAETA,MOLESTED CHILDREN,AND HE WAS ABUSIVETO CHILDREN.FOR THE I-TEAM,CHARLIE SPECHT, 7EYEWITNESS NEWSTHROUGH HIS SON,GAETA DID NOTRESPON