Church Attack

Shocking:

It's supposed to be a sanctuary, but instead a New York church became perhaps the most unexpected place for a sex attack.

Middletown, N.Y. police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a woman inside a local church -- in an act that was captured on surveillance video.

The attack happened just after midnight on Wednesday. The victim, a female volunteer at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Middletown, was volunteering during perpetual adoration when the church is kept open for paying respect over the Eucharist.

As seen on the video, the suspect walks in and sits down in a pew. Moments later, he suddenly leaped on top of the woman, holding her down and groping her.

They struggled briefly before the victim stabbed the attacker in the neck with a pen she was carrying. The man fled and the woman called police. The entire attack happened in less than a minute.

"A crime like this has a chilling effect on the entire community. This is an active and open investigation. We're following up on every lead. Credit the victim in this case for fighting off this vicious and heinous attacker," said Middletown Police Chief Matthew Byrne.

There is a certain gall that the attacker has to go after someone in a church, of all places, knowing that his sins will not be hidden.