It has been described by a top Vatican official as a nine-eleven moment for the Roman Catholic Church -- a game changer with countless victims. Allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests, and a cover-up by the Church in the state of Pennsylvania. The sex abuse scandal has triggered investigations in other US states, causing some to question whether this is a watershed moment for the Catholic Church. Karina Huber has more.  

Michael McDonnell grew up in an Irish-American Catholic family near Philadelphia. His family was very active in the parish.

MICHAEL McDONNELL VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE "I was a young kid who loved the Church, who loved the liturgy, who loved everything about serving as an altar boy."

But at the age of 11, that faith was rocked. He says he was sexually abused by two priests in his parish. The alleged abuse lasted for two years. One of the worst incidences occurred at the country home of one of the priests.

MICHAEL McDONNELL VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE "He insisted I slept in the same bed with him and I woke up to find myself stripped and his hands groping me and fondling every part of my body. I pretended to be asleep hoping and praying that it would stop - eventually it would stop."

McDonnell's story mirrors that of many in his state. A grand jury report by Pennsylvania's attorney-general alleges more than 300 priests sexually abused over a thousand minors in the state over a period of 70 years.

JOSH SHAPIRO PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL "You see Church officials routinely and purposefully described the abuse as horseplay and wrestling and inappropriate contact. It was none of those things. It was child sexual abuse, including rape committed by grown men."

Since the release of the more than 1400-page grand jury report, seven states have launched investigations of their own.

KARINA HUBER NEW YORK "In New York, the attorney general has subpoenaed all eight of the states' Catholic dioceses, demanding all documents related to accusations of sexual abuse. It has also set up a hotline for victims."

Shortly after the launch of the NY investigation, the Archdiocese of Brooklyn agreed to pay more than 27 million dollars to four victims of abuse at the hands of one priest in the early 2000s.

The Pope has also summoned every president of every bishop's conference in the world to an unprecedented meeting in February to discuss clergy sex abuse of children.

McDonnell thinks it's too little, too late. He wants to see the Vatican support state reforms to their statutes of limitations. That would allow victims to file claims even if the abuse occurred decades ago. 

MICHAEL McDONNELL VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE "I want to see pink slips. I want to see people fired. I want to see cardinals stripped of their ring and their birettas. This has to happen and it has to happen today."

Karina Huber, CGTN, New York.