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Testimony resumes in friars' child endangerment hearing

Associated Press
FILE - In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 file photo, attorneys lead Franciscans Giles Schinelli, front, and Anthony Criscitelli to their hearing at the Blair County courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Testimony is set to resume in the case of three Franciscan friars charged with allowing a suspected sexual predator to teach at a Pennsylvania high school and hold other jobs where he molested more than 100 children. A preliminary hearing on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, will determine whether Schinelli, Robert D'Aversa and Criscitelli will stand trial on child endangerment and conspiracy charges. (Todd Berkey/The Tribune-Democrat via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT

FILE - In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 file photo, attorneys lead Franciscans Giles Schinelli, front, and Anthony Criscitelli to their hearing at the Blair County courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Testimony is set to resume in the case of three Franciscan friars charged with allowing a suspected sexual predator to teach at a Pennsylvania high school and hold other jobs where he molested more than 100 children. A preliminary hearing on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, will determine whether Schinelli, Robert D'Aversa and Criscitelli will stand trial on child endangerment and conspiracy charges. (Todd Berkey/The Tribune-Democrat via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. – Testimony is set to resume in the case of three Franciscan friars charged with allowing a suspected sexual predator to teach at a Pennsylvania high school and hold other jobs where he molested more than 100 children.

Wednesday's preliminary hearing will determine whether Giles Schinelli, Robert D'Aversa and Anthony Criscitelli will stand trial on child endangerment and conspiracy charges. The hearing began April 14.

Prosecutors say the three were aware of the allegations dating to 1977 against Brother Stephen Baker, who killed himself in 2013.

The friars successively headed a Franciscan order in Pennsylvania from 1986 to 2010. They assigned and supervised Baker, who was accused of molesting students at Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown.

Defense attorneys say the friars did the best they could and that the statute of limitations has expired.