Such horrendous crimes of pedophilia against children were actually common here in Hawaii. In 1989, Joseph Anthony Ferrario, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii from 1982-93, became the first bishop in the U.S. to be publicly accused of sexual abuse. The Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi ruled that a statute of limitation effectively prevented Ferrario’s prosecution. Hawai's powerful and elite, including those in the highest positions in government and media, as well as in other Christian and Buddhist congregations, said and did nothing to protect the children.