A former Wisconsin priest has been charged with bail jumping and new sexual offenses against minors, the Diocese of Madison has confirmed. Andrew Showers was arrested Aug. 20 for attempted grooming of a child and violation of the conditions of his bail almost exactly one year after his initial arrest.
Andrew Showers at the time of his initial arrest in 2025.
A statement from the Madison diocese, released Friday, called “the allegations of attempted grooming of a child for sexual activity and bail jumping[…] incredibly disturbing.”
“Similar to the charges filed in Waupaca County in August of 2025, the new criminal complaint is connected to an online undercover investigation conducted by a police officer posing as a 15-year-old girl,” said the statement. “A warrant was issued for Showers’ arrest, and, after turning himself in, he was taken into police custody earlier today.”
The diocese also stated that Showers was dispensed from the clerical state by Pope Leo XIV in June of this year. He had been barred by the diocese from public ministry since his initial arrest last summer.
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