Lawyer Who Warned of Clergy Abuse Dies at 78

Ray Mouton coauthored a 1985 report that warned Catholic bishops about the endemic problem of pedophilia in the church, but his warnings were ignored.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Ray Mouton, a Louisiana lawyer who defended one of the first Roman Catholic priests in the United States to be criminally charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse, died on Feb. 5 at the age of 78. Mouton later coauthored a 1985 report that warned Catholic bishops about the endemic problem of pedophilia in the church, but his warnings were largely ignored. Mouton's life unraveled after he took on the high-profile case and tried to sound the alarm about the church's coverup of clergy abuse.

Why it matters

Mouton's story highlights the long history of the Catholic Church's failure to address the widespread sexual abuse of children by clergy members, and the personal toll it took on those who tried to expose the problem. His warnings came decades before the full extent of the abuse was widely known, and his efforts to hold the church accountable ultimately led to the collapse of his own life and career.

The details

In 1984, Mouton was hired by the Diocese of Lafayette to defend a priest named Gilbert Gauthe, who had admitted to molesting 37 children. While working on Gauthe's case, Mouton learned of seven other priests who were known pedophiles. Mouton then teamed up with two whistle-blowing priests to warn church leaders that sexual abuse by the clergy was a 'powder keg' that could cost the church up to $1 billion in damages. However, the 92-page confidential report they wrote in 1985 was largely ignored by the bishops.

  • In 1984, Mouton was hired to defend Gilbert Gauthe, a priest who had admitted to molesting 37 children.
  • In 1985, Mouton co-authored a confidential report warning Catholic bishops about the endemic problem of pedophilia in the church.
  • Mouton's life began to unravel in the years after he took on the Gauthe case and tried to sound the alarm about the church's coverup of clergy abuse.

The players

Ray Mouton

A Louisiana lawyer who defended one of the first Roman Catholic priests in the U.S. to be criminally charged with child sexual abuse, and who later tried to warn Catholic bishops about the endemic problem of pedophilia in the church.

Gilbert Gauthe

A priest who had admitted to molesting 37 children and was defended by Mouton.

Bishop Gerard Frey

The supervisor of the seven other priests that Mouton learned were known pedophiles, who had told the victims' parents that their sons should go to confession and repent for the role they had played in their abuse.

Rev. Thomas P. Doyle

A canon lawyer at the Vatican Embassy in Washington who co-authored the 1985 report with Mouton warning about clergy abuse, and who lost his job and teaching position as a result.

Rev. Michael Peterson

A psychiatrist who treated mentally ill priests and co-authored the 1985 report with Mouton, who died of AIDS in 1987.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I had a high-visibility client, and I knew the Catholic Church could pay like a damn slot machine.”

— Ray Mouton, Lawyer (The Washington Post)

“I honestly believed the church was a repository of goodness. As it turns out, when I decided to take that case, I destroyed my life, my family, my faith. In just two or three years, I lost everything I held dear.”

— Ray Mouton, Lawyer (The Washington Post)

“He was the voice in the wilderness trying to raise the consciousness of these bishops at a time when most of them were in abject denial.”

— Jason Berry, Journalist (The New York Times)

What’s next

The judge in the Gauthe case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the priest to be released on bail.

The takeaway

Mouton's story is a tragic example of the personal toll taken on those who tried to expose the Catholic Church's coverup of widespread clergy abuse, and the institution's failure to heed early warnings about the endemic problem of pedophilia within its ranks.