Boy breaks silence on Knights of Columbus figure: He molested me and gave me nightmares

On his LinkedIn Page, Paul Sposite lists among his specialties "working with youth" — a peculiar bragging point for a man charged with molesting a boy at a Moose Lodge and Knights of Columbus hall , and allegedly grooming him on Facebook and telling him he that he loved him in online conversations.

The boy was 10. Sposite was 52 and a Grand Knight of the Wayne Knights of Columbus when the alleged assaults and grooming occurred in the city of Wayne.

But what happened inside the fraternal clubs would remain a secret for years, a police report shows. That is, until the boy started having nightmares and broke his silence.

In 29th District Court this spring, more than five years after a group of women reported Sposite to the police for “inappropriate behavior” they allegedly witnessed at a Moose Lodge, he was arraigned on second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges involving a minor under the age of 13. He was released on a $25,000 bond on April 26.

'My son broke down in tears'

According to a police report obtained by the Free Press, Sposite is accused of — among other things — fondling the boy's genitals both inside and outside his pants during social events at the Knights of Columbus and Moose Lodge, where the child's musician father performed.

"Today, my son broke down in tears on me and told me Paul improperly touched him through his pants on his penis and thigh and grinded on him," the father wrote in a 2022 statement to police.

Another two years would pass before criminal charges were filed against Sposite, whose next court date is pending due to a conflict of interest. 29th District Court Judge Breeda O’Leary in Wayne knows Sposite and recused herself on May 2 to avoid “an appearance of impropriety.” The case is now pending in 18th District Court in nearby Westland.

Sposite did not return calls for comment, nor did his attorney, Scott Grabel. The boy's father and mother, who the Free Press is not naming to protect the child's identity, both declined comment.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office also declined comment, citing the pending criminal matter, and the age of the victim.

According to the Knights of Columbus, State Council of Michigan, Sposite is no longer a member of the 142-year-old organization, which preaches benevolence, family values, love of God and service to others, and is the world's largest fraternal Catholic organization with 1.9 million members.

"The Knights of Columbus in Michigan takes protection of children very seriously. We abide by both the Archdiocese of Detroit and it's Protecting God's Children program and our own internal screening process. Within hours of his arrest, Mr. Sposite was removed from our rolls as a member," The KOC, State Council of Michigan, said in a statement to the Free Press Sunday.

According to court records, police reports and multiple witness statements, here is what triggered criminal charges against Sposite more than five years after he fell on the radar of the authorities:

Suspicious women record Moose Lodge incident

The first tip came in after a Sept. 8, 2018, impersonator show at the Wayne Moose Lodge on Michigan Avenue.

A group of women attended the event when later in the evening they saw Sposite and a young boy sitting next to each other on the side of the dance floor. Sposite was massaging the boy's neck and rubbing the back of his hand along the boy's cheek. One woman became concerned and went over to approach Sposite when another woman — the boy's grandmother — explained that Sposite was a friend of the family.

So, the woman walked away, but continued watching.

The behavior continued, so she pulled out her phone and discreetly videotaped the man's actions. Another woman pulled the boy's father aside in an office to explain what was going on and show him the video.

Meanwhile, outside the office, Sposite was near the exit door, holding the boy's hands as he stood behind the child, and "did a humping motion," according to a witness statement.

The boy's stepmother also witnessed this incident, told Sposite to stop, and instructed the boy to go somewhere else.

The boy's father, after learning about the events of the night, reportedly did not appear concerned.

"(He) said that Paul was very good to his family and asked me to delete the video because he did not want it being put on social media," the witness wrote in her statement.

Police interview the father

On Sept. 17, 2018, at 10:20 p.m., police interviewed the boy's father at the Wayne Police Department station.

The father told police he is a musician who was performing at the Moose Lodge that night, and that his son, wife and Sposite were there. He said his son was playing Uno with his wife, Sposite and multiple others throughout the night, and that toward the end of the night, his son became tired and sat next to Sposite on a bench, where Sposite rubbed his son's cheek and hand. The father described Sposite as a longtime family friend whom his son is comfortable around. He told police about the concerns that the women had expressed to him that night, and that he spoke with Sposite about their claims.

"The (father) observed the recording and found nothing inappropriate," the police report reads, adding the father then asked the woman to delete her recording, which she did.

"The (father) did not think Paul was acting inappropriately, but wanted police aware," the report states, adding the father said his ex-wife and biological mother to his son "was going to file a police report without all the information in order to gain leverage in family court."

Police speak with Sposite

In an interview with police, Sposite corroborated the father's story. He said the boy became tired, and that he was rubbing the boy's cheek and hand. He said the child's stepmother asked him to stop because his actions were causing the boy to fall asleep, so he did and then leaned against the wall. He told police that while he was leaning against the wall, the boy leaned into him, grabbed his arms and put them around his chest.

Sposite told police that the boy's stepmom asked him to stop holding him, due to the women's allegations, so he did.

The stepmom also corroborated these events and told police the boy "was never alone with anyone that evening" and that she "did not observe any inappropriate behavior."

Police interview boy's mother

In a Sept. 11, 2018, interview with police, the boy's mother said she received a text message from an unknown person that day, advising her that there was information she needed to be aware of.

The mother would eventually meet the stranger who had texted her — a woman who had witnessed the Moose Lodge incidents — and learned of the allegations involving her son.

The mother then launched her own investigation, turning to Facebook, where she reportedly discovered "inappropriate" conversations between her son and an unfamiliar man she soon learned was Sposite.

She told police that she contacted Sposite and advised him to stop communicating with her son, who said Sposite unfriended him and ended online communications on Facebook Messenger.

The boy provided his mom with a copy of the conversations.

What followed was a more lengthy investigation that would uncover photographs of the boy and Sposite together at Michigan's Adventure amusement park. The boy's father also was at the park, but told police he had no idea about the Facebook communications between Sposite and his son, which went on throughout the day and night.

In one conversation, "Sposite begins to tell (the boy) that he loves him while saying goodnight."

Sposite also asked the boy multiple times in the conversation whether the boy could get permission from his dad and stepmom to visit him at his house, according to police reports.

Sposite and the boy also sent each other pictures of people and animals holding hands or hugging.

So, police interviewed Sposite again.

In a Nov. 1, 2018, interview with police, Sposite described the boy as a "good kid," "very affectionate," and said the child sat next to him or on his lap when his dad would perform at the Knights of Columbus club. He also told police that the boy's family would come over to his house, watch movies on the couch, and that he would rub the back of the boy's ear while watching movies.

Police asked Sposite about the Facebook communications and the "I love you" comments.

"Sposite said that he tells many people that he loves them," the police report states, adding Sposite later admitted that "it may have been stupid" to continue conversations with the boy on Facebook, and that "he could see why people could misinterpret his Facebook conversations and the physical contact" he had with the boy.

Sposite tells police: I've been accused of this before

During the interview, police asked Sposite whether he had anything that he wanted to mention "that would have been uncovered during this investigation."

"Sposite said he was accused in the past," the report states, adding Sposite said he was young when this happened, and that his accuser was a relative. The report did not elaborate on what Sposite was accused of, stating only: "Sposite said the matter was resolved with him attending counseling. (He) added that he does not lie and was honest," the report says.

Sposite also disclosed that another relative had also accused him — he didn't say of what — but "there was nothing to that one."

The interview ended with Sposite leaving. No charges were filed. The case was closed.

Victim breaks silence, reveals new information

About 3½ years after the case was closed, the boy's father came forward with new information. His son had opened up to his mother about what happened. And eventually his dad.

According to the boy, who also met with police, Sposite had fondled him at both the Moose Lodge and the Knights of Columbus hall. In an April 27, 2022, interview with police, the boy detailed what happened:

"(He) was standing at the bar getting a soda when suspect Sposite approached him from behind ... reached into the victim's underwear and grabbed his penis."

The boy continued: "Sposite then went under (his) shirt and began rubbing on (his) stomach and chest."

The boy said he ran outside to get away.

During the interview, the boy explained why he decided to open up: He was having recurring nightmares. Over his objections, he said, his dad was still bringing Sposite around him.

"The victim frequently has nightmares of him reliving the incident," the police report said.

When asked what he would like to see happen to Sposite, the boy told police: "He wanted (Sposite) not to hurt another person like he did (him.)"

The investigation continued.

Two years later, Sposite was handcuffed and arrested at the Knights of Columbus Notre Dame Hall.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Knights of Columbus leader charged with molestation