New lawsuits allege Orange County priest abused hundreds of children

New Child Victims Act lawsuits are putting the Carmelite Order and the Catholic Church back under scrutiny over how they handled warnings about the Rev. George Boxelaar, a priest who served in Orange County for nearly 30 years. The claims say abuse complaints followed him for decades, yet he remained a presence at local parishes in Middletown and Unionville.

Attorney Jim Monroe said eight additional men have now filed lawsuits tied to Boxelaar, and 14 other alleged victims have also been identified as one case nears trial next month. The new filings add to allegations that Boxelaar sexually assaulted hundreds of children and deepen the central question in the case: how a priest accused as early as 1973 was able to continue moving through church life long enough for more survivors to come forward years later.

Boxelaar served at Holy Cross Church in Middletown, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Middletown, and Our Lady of the Scapular Church in Unionville. He was a Carmelite priest, left the priesthood in 1985 and died in 1990 after returning to his native Holland. For former parishioners, the lawsuits reopen painful memories of church spaces that were supposed to offer trust and protection.

The timeline now stretches across generations. The first known complaint involving Boxelaar dates to 1973, when a 7-year-old altar boy accused him of abuse. A 2002 report said at least 25 men had come forward. By 2019, lawsuits alleged he had sexually abused at least 30 children in Orange County. The latest filings suggest the number of accusers has grown again, and that more survivors may still be identifying themselves.

The Child Victims Act made that possible by reopening a civil path for people abused as children after the usual statute of limitations had expired. In Orange County, where Boxelaar’s name has surfaced in prior reporting for years, the new cases sharpen the focus on institutional oversight, what church leaders knew, and how long warning signs may have gone unanswered. As the trial date approaches, the lawsuits are likely to shape not only Boxelaar’s legacy but also the prospects for other survivors still deciding whether to step forward.