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Well, I don't think it's ever not been a problem. In addition to what might be a level of reflection of general social tendencies towards child molestation within the priesthood, there is additionally enforced celibacy, which is based on the idea that priests ought to live as Jesus Christ did according to Biblical writings.
Some priests, I'm sure, are very happy with, and voluntarily accept celibacy, but I think the idea that in order to act in persona Christi (whatever you may think of the truth of the Biblical story of Christ in the first place) a priest must be celibate is nonsense, and harmful to those who don't accept it. The abused become abusers, etc.
(I also think it's actually contradictory to other Christian teaching, such as the idea that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ--why, then, cut out an important aspect of being human from that? Well, obviously, because it's sinful--a slightly, shall we say, problematic idea. :) )
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_celibacy_(Catholic_Church)
Anyway, trying to make Christian theology internally consistent is a little like attempting the action of King Canute in respect of the tide.
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Oliver Schick
I've been aware of the whole child molestation / rape scandal problem the Church has for quite a while. But I have to say, I did not realise it went quite as far and was quite as wide-spread as it is turning out to have been. It's now past the point of "there were some 'bad ones' and the church covered it up", and gone to "this was and possibly is an endemic problem in the entire church".