Sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis

The sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis was part of the large abuse scandal in the United States during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The Archdiocese of Saint Louis is located in the State of Missouri.

An investigation by the State of Missouri in 2019 found accusations of sexual abuse against 163 clerics over the past several decades and recommended the prosecution of 12 individuals. At least nine priests and one religious brother were convicted of sexual abuse crimes in the archdiocese. The charges included possession of child pornography, sodomy and sexual assault to rape. The sentences for these crimes ranged from probation to ten years in prison. The male victims ranged in age from 11 to 14.

Actions by Archdiocese of St. Louis

Archbishop Robert Carlson in August 2018 announced that the archdiocese was voluntarily opening all of its personnel files on priests to the Missouri attorney general for his investigation of sexual abuse in the Catholic dioceses in the state.[1] This was in response to the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report of sexual abuse in that state, released that same month. In July 2019, the archdiocese released the names of 64 clergy who were credibly accused of committing acts of sexual abuse.[2][3]

In July 2024, 25 alleged victims of sexual abuse by clerics sued the archdiocese, stating that its leadership knew about rampant incidents of sexual abuse over the past several decades.

Actions by State of Missouri

In September 2019, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt released a report on the sexual abuse of children within the four Catholic dioceses of Missouri. Schmitt found accusations of sexual abuse against 163 clerics across the state and recommended the criminal prosecution of 12 of them. The investigation was base on diocesan personnel files along with reports from over 100 victims.[4]

Sexual abuse convictions

Reverend James T. Beighlie

In 2021, Beighlie, a member of the Congregation of the Mission religious order, was assigned as an assistant pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in St. Louis. In May 2021, staff at the Congregation office in St. Louis found printouts of nude pictures of him at their printer. A police search of Beighlie's electronic devices found 6,200 images of child pornography. He pleaded guilty in October 2022 to two counts of possession of child pornography.[5] He was sentenced in January 2023 to five years in prison and $4,750 in restitution to a victim in one of the images.[6]

Brother Felix Bland

The DeLasalle Brothers, an organization of lay brothers, was operating the LaSalle Institute in Wildwood, a residential school for delinquent boys. While serving as a counselor there in 1988, Bland sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy. A few years later, the victim reported the assault, but by that time Bland was serving in Africa.[7]

When Bland returned to the United States in 1995, police asked the first victim to set up a meeting with him. With the victim wearing a recording device, Bland implicated himself. That same year, Bland pleaded guilty of six counts of statutory sodomy. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but 14 years of the sentence were suspended.[8] The judge also allowed Bland to participate in a work release program, only spending nights in jail. In 1997, the archdiocese settled a lawsuit by a family with two other boys who had also been abused by Bland.[7]

Reverend James A Funke

In 1986, Funke was an assistant pastor at St. Bernadette Parish in Lemay and a biology teacher at Bishop DuBourg High School in St. Louis. That year, he established a sexual relationship with Stephen Hippe, a 16-year-old boy at the parish. Funke gave him money for a car, beer and other gifts. In October, after discovering the abuse, Hippe's mother, Mary Ellen Kruger, contacted police. Funke was arrested and charged with sexual assault. While searching his residence, police uncovered child pornography.[9] By the time of his trial, a second victim had come forward and Funke received more charges. In April 1987, he pleaded guilty to ten counts of second-degree deviate sexual assault of the two boys and was sentenced to ten years in prison.[10][11] Hippe, unable to recover from the abuse, committed suicide in 1991. The archdiocese paid a financial settlement to Funke's victims in July 2008.[12][13]

Reverend James Patrick Grady

In 1999, Grady was assigned as a pastor at Holy Innocents Parish in St. Louis. During that period, he was alleged to have sexually assaulted a young girl in the special education program run by the parish school.[14]

Grady, a pastor in July 2009 at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in St. Louis, answered a Craigslist ad that offered massages and other services from underage girls. He set up a meeting with a 16-year-girl at her house.[15] Arriving at the location, Grady suspected a police sting operation and tried to walk away, but was arrested. He was charged with attempting to obtain a minor for a commercial sex act.[16] A charge of processing child pornography was added in November 2009.[17] In March 2010, Grady pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge and admitted to soliciting sex from a minor.[18] He was sentenced in June 2010 to 6.7 years in prison.[19]

In August 2024, the alleged victim from Holy Innocents sued the diocese, claiming sexual abuse by Grady. She also said that she was abuse by a Sister Annette, but this individual could not be identified.[15]

Reverend Donald Henry Heck

In October 1990, while serving as a pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in House Springs, Heck sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy. The assault took place in the church sacristy after a mass. Without knowing about this incident, the archdiocese removed him a few days later from Our Lady due to a previous abuse allegation. Heck was sent for treatment to St. Michael's Center, a spiritual healing center in St. Louis. In March 1991, while Heck was at St. Michaels, he revealed the assault from October; the archdiocese immediately notified police.[20]

Heck was indicted in November 1991 on one charge of charge of first-degree sexual abuse.[21] In May 1992, Heck entered an Alford plea in court and was sentenced in August 1992 to four years in prison.[20][22]

Reverend John P. Hess

In March 2002, the FBI was conducting Operation Candyman, a national campaign against child pornography.[23] That month, the FBI seized Hess' computer at the rectory of Most Sacred Heart Parish in Florissant, where he was serving as pastor. A search of the computer hard drive found child pornography.[24] However, a false statement in the search warrant used by the FBI prevented prosecutors from charging Hess with possession of child pornography. Instead, Hess pleaded guilty in February 2003 to possession of obscene materials, a lesser charge, and was sentenced to probation and three months in a halfway house.[25]

Reverend Bryan M. Kuchar

Kuchar in 1995 was serving as an associate pastor at Assumption Parish in Mattese. Over a six-month period that year, he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy from the parish school while acting as his tutor. The victim told his parents about it when he was in drug treatment in 1997, but they did not notify police.[26] Between 1999 and 2002, Kuchar worked at an overnight camp at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury. During that time, he assaulted a young teenage boy on multiple occasions. The victim committed suicide at age 21.[27]

In 2002, the victim from Assumption Parish finally reported his assault to police. Kuchar, now an associate director of the Vocations Office for the archdiocese, was indicted in April 2002 on six counts of second-degree statutory sodomy.[26] The victim sued the archdiocese in July 2002.[28] In May 2003, Kuchar's trial ended in a hung jury, despite his having confessed to police.[29] In a second trial in September 2003, Kuchar was convicted on three counts of statutory sodomy.[30] He was sentenced to three years in prison.[31]

Kuchar's sexual abuse victim from Assumption Parish received a financial settlement from the archdiocese in August 2004.[32] In May 2013, the parents of the victim from Kenrick-Glennon sued the archdiocese.

Reverend Joseph D. Ross

In 1972, while serving at Immacolata Parish in Richmond Heights, police arrested Ross after they found him masturbating with two other men in a department store restroom. By 1975, he was serving as a teacher at St. Williams School in Woodson Terrace. Matthew Layton, a student at St. Williams, said that Ross started grooming him in 1975 and sodomized him in 1977 in a closet.[33]

Ross in 1988 was serving as a pastor at Christ the King Parish in University City when a boy accused him of sexual molestation. In December 1986, when the victim was 11-years-old, Ross kissed the boy several times and tried to pull him onto his lap. During the police interrogation, Ross volunteered that he was accused of molesting a boy in 1977 and that he was arrested during the 1970s for propositioning a policeman in a restroom.[34]

Ross in 1988 pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse and was sentenced to probation. Bishop John L. May then sent Ross to Washington, D.C. for seven months of treatment. In 1991, May assigned Ross to St. Cronan Parish in St. Louis without informing the parish about his criminal record.[34] In March 2002, after updating its policy on sexual abuse, Archbishop Justin Rigali removed Ross from St. Cronan.[35] The Vatican laicized Ross in August 2002.[36] Layton sued the archdiocese in November 2002 after reading about the Christ the King case in the newspaper.[33] Ross was arrested in Arkansas in October 2008 on eleven counts of statutory rape, statutory sodomy and child molestation for allegedly abusing a child at St. Cronan, but they were all dismissed in August 2010.[37]

Reverend William Vatterott

One former altar boy says he was sexually abused between 2008 and 2011 by Reverend William Vatterott, who was later convicted of possession of child pornography. Another plaintiff says he was caught wearing red socks, which were prohibited at Catholic summer camp, and was sent to a priest for discipline. The priest abused the child, then told him he would "burn in hell for all eternity" unless he kept the abuse secret

Reverend Gary Wolken

In June 2023, the archdiocese agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit by a man who alleged he was raped when an altar boy from fourth through sixth grade[38] by a since-defrocked priest who has been required to register as a sex offender.[38][39] In 2004, the Archdiocese of St. Louis paid $1.7 million to settle sexual abuse claims.[38]

See also

References

  1. ^ Romo, Vanessa (2018-08-24). "St. Louis Archdiocese Agrees To AG's Investigation Of Sexual Abuse Accusations". NPR. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  2. ^ "St. Louis Archdiocese names 64 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children or possessing child porn". stltoday.com.
  3. ^ "List Release | Promise To Protect | Archdiocese of St Louis". www.archstl.org. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  4. ^ Dias, Elizabeth (2019-09-13). "Missouri Attorney General Refers 12 Catholic Clergy for Prosecution". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  5. ^ Breault, Laura (2022-10-13). "Former St. Louis Catholic priest admits to having images, creating PowerPoints of child porn - BishopAccountability.org". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  6. ^ Moran, Michael (2023-01-16). "Paedo priest jailed after leaving sickening child abuse photos in church printer". Daily Star. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  7. ^ a b Lhotka, Lhotka; Bryant, Tim; Goodrich, Robert; Howard, Trisha; Rowden, Tim; Schremp, Valerie (March 10, 2002). "Missouri, Illinois Laws Don't Require Clergy Members to Report Child Abuse But Illinois Missouri Prosecutors Say Cases Should Go to Court". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  8. ^ Sorkin, Michael D. (April 25, 1995). "Counselor Gets Nights in Jail for Sex Crimes". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via St. Louis Post Dispatch.
  9. ^ "Priest and Teacher Charged with Sexual Assault". United Press International. October 31, 1986. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  10. ^ Gayle, Lisha (April 24, 1987). "Teacher Guilty in Sodomy Case" (PDF). St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  11. ^ "Four Suspended Priests Are Laicized". St. Louis Review. November 3, 2006. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  12. ^ Kohler, Jeremy (July 8, 2008). "Church Pays out $467,500 More for Sex Abuse Claims". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  13. ^ Townsend, Tim (April 18, 2010). "Advocate for Those Abused by Priest Ramps up since European Scandal". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  14. ^ McKiernan, Terry (2024-08-11). "St. Louis Archdiocese lawsuits bring new abuse allegations but also raise questions". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  15. ^ a b Regnier, Chris; Sells, George (July 30, 2009). "St Louis Priest Accused of Soliciting Sex with Teenager FBI Says James Patrick Grady Is One of Three Men Nabbed in Sting". Fox 2. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.
  16. ^ "Catholic Priest Busted in Sex Sting in St Louis County, Robert Patrick, St Louis Post dispatch, July 30, 2009". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  17. ^ Patrick, Robert (November 5, 2009). "St Louis Priest Faces New Sex Charge". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  18. ^ Patrick, Robert (March 31, 2010). "St Louis Priest Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charge". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  19. ^ Choat, Brad (June 24, 2010). "Priest Gets Nearly 7 Years in Prison on Child Porn Charges". KMOX. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  20. ^ a b Rogers, Kathryn (August 1, 1992). "Priest Sentenced to Four Years for Sex Abuse". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  21. ^ Gross, Thom (December 17, 1991). "Priest Charged in Assault". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  22. ^ \Fitzmaurice, Leo (May 30, 1992). "Priest Pleads No Contest in Assault". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  23. ^ "Operation Candyman". FBI. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  24. ^ Rice, Patricia; Parish, Norm (March 8, 2002). "FBI Agents Seize Pastors Computer in Investigation of Child Pornography Rigali Says Priest Has Left Most Sacred Heart Parish in Florissant". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  25. ^ Shinkle, Peter (February 4, 2003). "Mistake by FBI in Porn Case Leads Priest to Plead Guilty on Lesser Count Child Pornography Charge Is Changed to Possession of Obscene Materials". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  26. ^ a b Ratcliffe, Heather; Smith, Bill; Rice, Patricia (April 12, 2002). "Area Priest Is Charged in Sexual Abuse of Boy Case Dating from 1995 Involved Parishioner, 14". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  27. ^ Townsend, Tim (May 3, 2013). "Parents of Man Who Committed Suicide over Alleged Abuse Sue St. Louis Archdiocese". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  28. ^ "Law & Order, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 3, 2002". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  29. ^ "Prosecutors Set to Schedule Second Trial for Priest". KSDK. May 24, 2003. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  30. ^ "Problem Priests Uncollared". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 4, 2003. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  31. ^ "Problem Priests: Victimized Again". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 29, 2004. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  32. ^ Townsend, Tim (August 26, 2004). "Diocese Settles 18 Abuse Suits". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-10 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  33. ^ a b Bryant, Tim (November 8, 2002). "Webster Groves Man Sues Ex-Priest, Archdiocese; Abuse in 1977 Is Alleged Former Pastor Pleaded Guilty in Another Case of Sexually Molesting Boy". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-09 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  34. ^ a b Parish, Norm (March 7, 2002). "Priest Pleaded Guilty in '88 to Assault of Boy Archdiocese Didn't Tell Next Parish of Conviction". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-09 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  35. ^ Rice, Patricia; O'Connor, Phillip (March 1, 2002). "Archdiocese Ousts Priest from Church He Was Accused of Sexual Abuse 15 Years Ago Older Cases Are Being Reviewed". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-09 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  36. ^ Parish, Norm (August 8, 2002). "Area Priest in Sex Case Is Laicized by Pope St. Louis Archdiocese Had Removed Joseph D. Ross from St. Cronan Church". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-05-09 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  37. ^ "Law and Order". St Louis Post-Dispatch. August 6, 2010. Retrieved 2025-05-09 – via Bishop Accountability.com.
  38. ^ a b c "St Louis Catholic archdiocese to pay $1m to settle sexual abuse lawsuit". The Guardian. Associated Press. 2023-06-09. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  39. ^ Wimbley, Lacretia (2023-11-10). "Archdiocese of St. Louis abuse victim speaks out after settling with church for $1M". St. Louis Public Radiko. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.