Today, the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates revealed that 66 Catholic clergy members accused of child sexual abuse have been identified in 116 lawsuits filed in Alameda County under the California Child Victims Act. This public data collected is believed to be a small percentage of what attorneys & advocates anticipate the final number of lawsuits filed under this historic legislation to be.
“The California Child Victims Act has helped hundreds of survivors seek justice and healing,” said attorney Jeff Anderson. “This law is a major advancement in the child protection movement, and we applaud all of the survivors who have come forward. But time is running out. Survivors must act before the December 31st deadline.”
Included below is a list of alleged clergy members accused of child sexual abuse and identified in public lawsuits filed in Alameda County Superior Court. The locations where the alleged abuse occurred are affiliated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Archdiocese of San Francisco, Diocese of Fresno, Diocese of Monterey, Diocese of Oakland, Diocese of Sacramento, Diocese of San Jose, and the Diocese of Santa Rosa:
- Fr. William Allison
- Fr. Donald E. Broderson
- Fr. James Corley
- Fr. Bernard Dabbene
- Fr. Raymond Etienne
- Fr. Gerald Funcheon
- Fr. Martin Greenlaw
- Fr. William Hold
- Fr. Robert H. Lewis
- Msgr. John T. McCracken
- Fr. James McSorley
- Fr. Jorge Moreno
- Fr. Francisco Javier Ochoa
- Fr. Jose Antonio Pinal
- Br. U Benedict Reams
- Fr. Eric Swearingen
- Fr. Joseph Watt
- Fr. William Dodson
- Fr. George Crespin
- Fr. Raul Carvajal
- Fr. Thomas Bettencourt
- Br. William C. Farrington
- Br. Adrian Furman
- Br. Joseph (Jesse) Gutierrez
- Fr. Domingos S. Jacque
- Fr. John A. Lynch
- Msgr. Michael J. McGinty
- Fr. Hector David Mendoza Vela
- Fr. George Moss
- Fr. Patrick O’Shea
- Fr. Robert Ponciroli
- Fr. Christian Sandholdt
- Fr. Gary Timmons
- Fr. Gerald Wertz
- Br. Salvatore Billante
- Fr. James A. Clark
- Fr. John Crews
- Fr. Pearse P. Donovan
- Fr. Don D. Flickinger
- Fr. Elwood Geary
- Fr. Sidney Hall
- Fr. Austin Peter Keegan
- Fr. Robert Marsicek
- Fr. Joseph McGovern
- Fr. Vito Mistretta
- Fr. Leonel Noia
- Fr. Ted Oswald
- Fr. Jesus Prieto
- Fr. John Francis Scanlon
- Fr. Gary B. Tollner
- Fr. Anthony Bolger
- Fr. Edmond G. Cloutier
- Fr. John Crowley
- Fr. Donald Eagleson
- Fr. Francis (John) Ford
- Fr. Robert Gemmet
- Fr. Henry Hall
- Fr. Stephen M. Kiesle
- Sis. M. Rosella McConnell
- Fr. Patrick McHugh
- Fr. Anthony Moreno
- Fr. Maurice Joseph O’Brien
- Fr. John Pierson
- Fr. Joseph Pritchard
- Fr. Simon Twomey
- Fr. William Storan
Based on public records available to date for recent filings in the Alameda County Court system, Br. Salvatore Billante and Fr. Stephen Kiesle, are identified and accused of child sexual abuse most frequently. Br. Billante is identified in at least 11 lawsuits filed in the Alameda County Court system and is accused of sexually abusing children in locations affiliated with the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Fr. Stephen Kiesle is identified in at least nine lawsuits filed in Alameda County Court system and is accused of sexually abusing children in locations affiliated with the Diocese of Oakland.
Additionally, 14 alleged Catholic perpetrators identified in lawsuits filed under the California Child Victims Act in the Alameda County Court system have been publicly identified for the first time. The current whereabouts of these alleged perpetrators and whether they have access to children are unknown:
- Fr. James Corley
- Fr. Sidney Hall
- Fr. John A. Lynch
- Fr. John Francis Scanlon
- Fr. William Dodson
- Fr. Henry Hall
- Sis. M. Rosella McConnell
- Fr. Joseph Watt
- Fr. Elwood Geary
- Fr. Domingos S. Jacque
- Br. U Benedict Reams
- Fr. Robert Gemmet
- Fr. Robert H. Lewis
- Fr. Christian Sandholdt
“Because we do not know the current location of these accused perpetrators, if they are dead or alive, and whether they have access to children, there is a great public risk,” said attorney Mike Finnegan. “We are urging the public to help us in any way they can. If you know anything about these newly accused perpetrators, contact law enforcement.”
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