Quote:PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Three priests and a Philadelphia Catholic school teacher have been charged with raping and assaulting two young boys over the course of several years. A fifth man, a monsignor, has been charged with child endangerment for allegedly allowing the abuse to continue.

The three priests — 68-year-old Edward Avery, 64-year-old Charles Engelhardt, and 47-year-old James Brennan — and a parochial school teacher, 48-year-old Bernard Shero, were all charged with rape, indecent sexual assault and other criminal charges.

Sixty-year-old Monsignor William Lynn, the secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia under Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, has been charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the assaults.

The charges, which are the result of a grand jury investigation, were announced by the district attorney’s office on Thursday morning.

Avery and Engelhardt are charged with assaulting a 10-year-old boy at St. Jerome Parish in Northeast Philadelphia from 1998 to 1999. Shero is charged with assaulting the same boy there in 2000.

Brennan is accused of assaulting a different boy, a 14-year-old, in 1996.

The grand jury found that Lynn, who was responsible for investigating reports that priests had sexually abused children, endangered children, including the victims, by knowingly allowing abusive priests to continue in the ministry in roles in which they had access to children.

“The grand jury believed that many priests –- dozens of them -– have remained in ministry despite solid, credible allegations of abuse. It is time for the church to remove all credibly accused priests from ministry, and to put protection of children ahead of protection from scandal,” District Attorney Seth Williams said on Thursday.

Avery, Engelhardt, Shero, and Brennan all face a maximum of 67 years in prison if convicted of all charges. Lynn is facing a maximum of 14 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Bevilacqua was not charged, although the grand jury in its report talks of its “difficult dilemma” in whether to charge the former Archbishop of Philadelphia, who is now 87 and suffering from cancer and dementia, according to his attorney.

DA Williams, a Roman Catholic, said his task in bringing charges against clergy was not a happy one, but said he has a job to do.

“I love my church, but I detest the criminal behavior of priests who abuse or allow the abuse of children,” Williams said. “I know ultimately they will be judged by a higher authority. For now, it is my responsibility as the elected district attorney of all the citizens of Philadelphia to hold them accountable.”

Williams added, “This is an indictment of bad men who did terrible things who have to be held accountable by secular society.”

A short time later, Cardinal Justin Rigali released a statement saying that the archdiocese had not yet had an opportunity to study the grand jury report but asked for prayer for all child victims of sex abuse. The statement also said the archdiocese is cooperating fully with civil authorities in this and all related matters.

Speaking publicly for the archdiocese, Bishop Daniel Thomas, disputed findings in the grand jury report that more than 40 priests accused of inappropriate conduct involving minors in the past five years are still in active ministry.

“There are no archdiocesan priests currently in ministry who have an established or admitted allegation of sexual abuse of a minor,” Thomas said.

But the grand jury says its own review of some priest files found convincing and alarming evidence of abuse that had been dismissed as unsubstantiated by that archdiocese review board.

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Quote:Police have filed endangerment charges against a southeastern Pennsylvania woman whose toddler was photographed while bound to a chair with duct tape covering her mouth.

The Delaware County Daily Times reports that 21-year-old Caira Ferguson of Toby Farms in Chester Township, was charged Wednesday after being questioned by Nether Providence Township police.

Ferguson was arrested Wednesday because of outstanding warrants, police told NBC Philadelphia.

Chester Township police became aware of the photograph when Ferguson, who is the woman pictured in the photo, lodged an identity theft complaint with the police station Tuesday, police told NBC Philadelphia.

“She told us that it is her in the photograph, ” Police Chief Ken Coalson told the Delco Times.

Police have had contact with the toddler since the investigation began, Coalson said. The incident happened last summer when Ferguson lived in Nether Providence, according to police.

Police believe a friend of Ferguson took the photograph.

Ferguson briefly defended herself while police escorted her outside of the station.

"I did not duct tape my daughter," said Ferguson.

Ferguson's father, Ira Ferguson, insists that her daughter is not an abusive mother.

"My daughter is a very loving daughter, very loving mother, very loving friend to me and all her family," said Ira Ferguson.

Police say that during questioning, Caira Ferguson admitted to taping her daughter to the chair last summer inside the Wallingford home where she and her family used to live. Ira denies this however.

"I have word from her mouth she did not confess," said Ira Ferguson.

"I'd like that to be known."

Police say that two other children under the age of eight witnessed the incident. Police also say that they searched Caira Ferguson's current home and that the chair from the picture still had remnants of duct tape attached to it.

Despite all of this, Caira Ferguson's father remains supportive and still insists that his granddaughter has never been in danger.

"She's loved in the home, she's cared for," said Ira Ferguson.

Anyone with information about the photo or the incident depicted in the photo is asked to call Chester Township Police at 610.494.0211.