Diocese spokesman Andrew Walton says a 43-year-old man told the diocese in February about an incident with the Rev. Brendan Sullivan that happened in 1981 when the man was 14.
Atlantic County's prosecutor was notified and the diocese removed Sullivan after reviewing the issue. Sullivan had retired from substantial parish work in 2004.
Sullivan told The Press of Atlantic City the incident occurred, but said it happened only once.
The priest said he met the boy in Atco and knew him several years before and afterward, saying he played an advisory role in the relationship.
Sullivan will not likely face criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired.
Sullivan served parishes in south Jersey.
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Information from: The Press of Atlantic City, http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com
