Jesuit Abuse Scandal Deepens: Kevin Laheen's Transport of Young Boys for “Private Swimming Lessons” Must Be Investigated

Keywords: Kevin Laheen SJ, Jesuit child abuse, Jesuit swimming pool Milltown, Shane Daly SJ, Leonard Moloney SJ, Jesuit human trafficking, 35–36 Leeson Street Dublin, Irish clerical abuse, Glasnevin cremation cover-up, Baby Kevin, child trafficking Ireland, Garda investigation, ICC abuse cases

The scandal surrounding Father Kevin Laheen SJ continues to deepen, with newly surfaced allegations exposing the calculated transportation of young boys—as young as seven years old—for so-called “private swimming lessons.”

Sources confirm that Laheen booked out the private swimming pool owned by the Jesuits at Milltown Park, using Jesuit vehicles to collect and move boys to and from the facility without parental supervision. These were not community swim classes. These were closed sessions, booked in isolation, and shrouded in secrecy.

This pattern of behavior—transporting minors for isolated, unsupervised access—is a textbook indicator of grooming and exploitation. Under Irish and international law, this meets the threshold for child trafficking.

Shane Daly SJ Knew—And Said Nothing

What’s most damning is that Shane Daly SJ, the current Provincial of the Irish Jesuits, was allegedly aware of these “swimming sessions” and did not intervene. Daly, who now leads the internal “review” of Jesuit abuse claims, has yet to acknowledge or address this in any public statement.

If true, this makes Daly complicit in the concealment of activity that should have raised immediate safeguarding red flags. His position overseeing the internal Jesuit investigation is an irreconcilable conflict of interest, and must be relinquished immediately in favor of a full, independent criminal investigation.

Private Pool. Private Transport. No Witnesses.

This was not negligence—it was systematized access. Laheen had the:

• Authority of the Church

• Unquestioned access to children

• Use of Jesuit vehicles

• Private institutional facilities

• Protection of his superiors

It is now clear that Jesuit resources were used to facilitate abuse, not prevent it. Milltown Park’s private pool, a location that should have offered safety, instead became the site of unmonitored, adult-child interaction with a now-notorious predator.

The Abuse of the Meagher Children—and the 2019 Cover-Up

This must also be seen in the context of the Meagher family case, where Laheen is alleged to have fathered Baby Kevin while abusing children in the home as their mother, Dolores Meagher, was pregnant.

On March 29th, 2019, the then-head of the Jesuits, Father Leonard Moloney SJ, allegedly pulled aside the eldest Meagher child at Cherryfield Lodge, thanking them for their decades of silence—not only about Baby Kevin, but about the abuse of Dolores Meagher’s children, dating back to as early as 1961.

A third-party recording of this conversation exists. That alone should trigger immediate criminal investigation and prosecution for obstruction of justice and collusion.

Jesuit Assets Must Be Frozen

The Jesuits cannot be permitted to quietly bury this chapter with polite PDFs and hollow apologies. As an institution:

• They enabled the transport and abuse of minors

• They protected predators like Kevin Laheen

• They failed to report known crimes

• They are actively shielding senior clergy

A court-ordered freeze of Jesuit assets must be enforced to fund redress, therapy, legal aid, and survivor support. Their decades of tax-free status and real estate wealth should now serve justice, not institutional preservation.

This Is Human Trafficking—Not Historical Misconduct

Let’s be clear: under Irish and international human rights law, the act of transporting a child into an exploitative situation constitutes human trafficking, even without the use of force. Kevin Laheen's:

• Private transport of minors

• Unsupervised access in Jesuit facilities

• Pattern of grooming and abuse

• Institutional protection from oversight

...qualify under this definition.

This is not “historic abuse.” This is an active criminal conspiracy with living enablers, hidden documents, and ongoing institutional denial.

Demands for Immediate Action:

1. Arrest Leonard Moloney SJ based on the recorded 2019 conversation

2. Remove Shane Daly SJ from any involvement in abuse investigations

3. Freeze all Jesuit assets in Ireland pending investigation

4. Launch a Garda-led inquiry with international legal oversight (ICC, ECJ)

5. Criminally prosecute all living Jesuits who shielded or ignored Laheen’s actions

6. Investigate the use of Milltown Park’s pool and facilities in the abuse of minors

Conclusion

The Jesuit Order in Ireland no longer holds the moral or legal credibility to investigate itself. With children as young as seven years old being moved, isolated, and exposed to a known predator, this must be treated as what it is: organized trafficking, facilitated by a religious institution, and protected by its senior leadership.

No more apologies. No more internal reviews.

This is a matter for the criminal courts—nothing less.