Accused Pa. priest commits suicide

A priest committed suicide two days after his bishop said claims of sex abuse by the priest dating back more than 30 years would be turned over to police.

The Rev. William A. Rosensteel, 64, jumped from a bridge Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Bishop Joseph Adamec of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown announced Friday that following a diocese review, sex abuse allegations against Rosensteel dating to 1971 would be referred to police. Adamec's statement was published Monday in The Catholic Register, the official newspaper of the eight-county diocese.

Rosensteel worked in several parishes throughout the diocese, but he resigned from his most recent post after being placed on administrative leave in March.

"It is difficult to comprehend a priest taking the action that he did," Adamec said Monday. "While Father Rosensteel was facing allegations from the past, those allegations were being processed through appropriate channels."