Hunterdon priest convicted of molestation dies in prison

WOODBRIDGE - The Hunterdon County priest who was serving a 33-year sentence for sexually assaulting an altar boy died Monday at the state's Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center.

John Banko, 69, was pronounced dead at 9:29 a.m. Monday, said Matt Schuman, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections.

No foul play is suspected in Banko's death, Schuman said, adding he can not give any circumstances because of federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations.

Banko, a former pastor at St. Edward the Confessor in Milford , was convicted twice of sexual abuse during his tenure at the church. Known to parishioners as "Father Jack," Banko was convicted in December 2002 of molesting a former altar boy on two consecutive Sundays after Mass at the Milford church from September 1993 to September 1994.

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During the jury trial, Banko testified in his own defense and maintained his innocence.

Testimony during the trial included the recollections of a 39-year-old Baltimore man who told the court Banko molested him repeatedly during a 10-year period starting around 1972. Two other men said Banko took them to upscale restaurants, where he often offered them alcohol, and that they would play racquetball with him before bathing nude in a hot tub at a health club.

Both men testified they stopped contact with Banko after the pastor grabbed their buttocks. One of the men testified he was befriended by Banko as a teenager attending St. Charles Borromeo Church in Montgomery, where Banko was pastor from 1982 to 1989.

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Banko was convicted a second time of sexually assaulting a child between Sept. 1, 1991, and May 15, 1995.

The victim in Banko's second case was a 6-year-old altar boy in 1991 when the incidents began and continued until 1995. However, the boy, who moved with his family to California, remained silent about the incidents until he was 18 or 19 and told a friend, according to court papers. He eventually told his mother in April 2005 who then contacted local California police and an investigation was launched.

Contributing: Andrew Ford

Staff Writer Mike Deak: 908-243-6607: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com