Former Sacramento Area Priest Sought for Child Sex Abuse
A former Sacramento area Catholic priest is being sought for possible child sex abuse, including assault of a girl under 14 and rape. The priest served a number of Sacramento area churches over about a 10-year period. During the 10-year-period, the former priest served at Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Rose parishes. He also served in Roseville at the St. Rose Parish. The alleged incident involving the young girl occurred from 1996-1999. A felony warrant was issued by the Sacramento Police Department. The 70-year-old priest left the Sacramento area and moved to Atlanta, where he worked for the Archdiocese before moving in 2008 to Columbia.
Diocese Knew of Allegations
The diocese knew of third-party allegations against the priest in 2021, and there are apparently additional accusations. In 1999, he faced an accusation of acting inappropriately with a boy but denied any wrongdoing. The case was dropped by law enforcement and the diocese due to insufficient evidence.
Church Accused of Failing to Remove Priest After Sexual Abuse Allegations
In 2001, about two years later, an adult male accused him of sexual abuse. The diocese said they didn’t have this information until 2020; however, they share all data concerning these allegations with the Columbia diocese. The Sacramento diocese has been criticized by a local survivors group that said the church failed two times in removing the priest. They also intimated that more instances of this type may have occurred while the priest was in Atlanta.
Contact Information if You Believe Sexual Abuse by a Priest Occurred in Your Family
Those who have information about the priest are asked to call (916) 808-1223 and talk to Detective Matthew Wollman in the sexual and child abuse department. He can also be contacted at [email protected]. A list of the deacons and priests who are accused of sexual abuse can be found at scd.org/clergyabuse/list. The Sacramento diocese says to call law enforcement if they were abused or know someone who was. You can also contact the Pastoral Care Coordinator at the Diocese at (866) 777-9133.
Contact a Sexual Assault Lawyer to Recover Financial Damages
If your child or someone you know has been sexually assaulted by a member of the clergy, you should report it to the police right away. To recover compensation, contact an injury lawyer, who can help you get the damages that you deserve. In many cases, a sexual assault leaves the person not only with physical injuries, but they suffer trauma that can cause deep emotional and psychological damage.
Recovery of Civil Damages in a Sexual Abuse Case
In these cases, the survivor often recounts the abuse they suffered at the hands of a priest or other clergy member. It’s for this reason that our accident attorneys treat our clients the same way we would treat our own family, meaning we care about their personal well-being. In order to help you get the best possible result, we listen to the hopes and dreams you have for your case and work hard to get the outcome that you expect.
Sacramento Personal Injury Attorneys
My name is Ed Smith, and I am a personal injury attorney in Sacramento. If you suspect your child was abused by a member of the clergy, at school or elsewhere, you are welcome to call us for confidential, free and friendly advice. We can be reached at (916) 921-6400 or by calling (800) 404-5400. We can also be messaged online if you’d rather contact us that way.
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