Jan 4, 2020 2 min read

The state Supreme Court formally barred from practicing law a retired Allegheny County attorney who pleaded guilty in Washington County to soliciting child pornography.

The appellate court’s disciplinary board issued the order on Monday, placing Rosendo F. Dacal of McCandless Township on a temporary suspension that legally prevents him from representing clients in court and otherwise acting as a lawyer.

Dacal, 75, pleaded guilty in October 2018 to the felony solicitation charge, plus another felony count of criminal use of a communication facility. A North Strabane Township police investigator said in court papers explaining the charges that he’d been posing online as a local 14-year-old boy from the North Strabane area when he and Dacal exchanged “hundreds” of messages that included requests for nude photos of the teen and Dacal exposing himself during at least four one-way video sessions.

The charges were filed in April 2018. Following the plea, Common Pleas Judge Gary Gilman sentenced Dacal to two years of probation, barred him from owning a computer or other device that can access the internet and ordered him to register as a sex offender for 25 years. The sentence required Dacal to continue receiving the therapy in which he was already participating at the time.

The Supreme Court noted in its order that it had received no response to a “rule to show cause” as to why Dacal shouldn’t be suspended. The suspension takes effect Jan. 29.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh announced it had suspended Dacal, who’d been ordained as a deacon in 2011 and ministered at All Saints Parish in Etna and the Allegheny County jail, from active ministry when he was arrested. A diocesan spokesperson didn’t immediately return a message Friday.

The allegations against Dacal did not overlap with his work in the church.

Atttorney Robert DelGreco, who represented Dacal during the criminal case, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.