Area police look into sex-abuse allegations

Costa Mesa police are investigating a woman’s allegations that when she was a teenager she was sexually abused by the choir director at St. Timothy’s Parish in Laguna Niguel.

The woman, who is now 28, alleges that the abuse started nearly 13 years ago when she was singing for the church’s youth choir, her attorney John Manly said.

She alleges that Albert L. Schildknecht, 56, of Laguna Niguel sexually assaulted her beginning when the woman was 15, Manly said. She first reported the abuse allegations to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, but now the investigation has widened, and Costa Mesa police have taken an interest.

Costa Mesa investigators are working to determine if the woman, who has not been identified, was abused within city limits, Sgt. Marty Carver said. Investigators are also trying to determine if the 10-year statute of limitations prevents prosecution.

Until a few days ago, Schildknecht played piano at the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano.

Efforts to reach Schildknecht on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Church authorities recently placed the man on leave when they said they learned about the allegations. He has since resigned, Catholic Diocese of Orange authorities said.

The allegations were brought to the diocese’s attention about two weeks ago, Maria Schinderle of the Orange County Diocese said in a phone interview.

“I am sure it was brought to our attention two or three weeks ago,” she said.

But Manly says that church officials were told about the allegations in 1995.

Schinderle declined to comment on that claim.

Manly said that after a brief period of “grooming” the young girl with subtle advances, Schildknecht led the teen into a sexual relationship. One day after practice, Schildknecht took the girl home, and when a friend of the girl’s reported seeing them kissing, he reported it to a priest at St. Timothy’s, Manly said.

Schildknecht was placed on a one-month leave then, and when he returned to the choir, the church staff asked the girl to leave the choir, Manly said. The sexual relationship continued until the woman left the area for college, Manly said.