Herndon Warned of Accused Pedophile

The woman, who would not identify herself in an interview later, said that she and her 10-year-old son have rented a room in the house for the past eight years and that she trusts Dudzinski. She said the groups' tactics are a violation of Dudzinski's privacy.

"It's very upsetting for him because other than 30 years ago, he's never done anything inappropriate," she said. "That's what I've been told, that's what I've observed, and that's what I believe."

For some in the close-knit community, where block parties and gatherings are common, it was a disturbing afternoon.

Members of SNAP and Voice of the Faithful, another support group for those abused by priests, walked from home to home for close to an hour in the December chill, talking to residents who answered their knocks.

Stella Matthes, who has two teenagers, thanked SNAP board member Mark Serrano and Voice of the Faithful member Evelyn Mercantini as they handed her a packet of information and gave her a synopsis of Dudzinski's alleged past.

Along with the Diocese of Wilmington's accusations, the packet contained copies of records showing that Dudzinski, who moved to Fairfax County in the 1990s to work as a substance-abuse counselor, gave up his license as part of a settlement with the Virginia Board of Counseling in 2003. Those records, available online, show that the board said that Dudzinski had become "personally involved" with teenagers he was counseling.

After Serrano and Mercantini had moved on to the next house, Matthes said the encounter had made her uncomfortable.

"I'm a little surprised that people are going door-to-door," she said. "I think it would be more appropriate if they were to mail something out."

A few doors away, John and Kathy Wilson, who have a 3-year-old daughter, said they were grateful for the information.

"It's always important to know who's living around you," Kathy Wilson said.

Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.