Federal prosecutors open clergy abuse probe in Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation of child sexual abuse inside the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.

That's according to two people familiar with the probe, who say federal prosecutors have served subpoenas on dioceses across the state that seek a trove of sensitive files and testimony from church leaders.

The two people are not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The subpoenas follow a state grand jury report in August that detailed hundreds of allegations of children being sexually abused by priests in dioceses across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's attorney general concluded that no state charges could be filed because of legal time limits.