A Northeast Ohio teenager has filed a civil lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland that alleges the diocese failed to protect him against his abuser: former priest Robert McWilliams. A federal judge sentenced McWilliams to a life sentence last November for numerous child pornography, child exploitation and child sex trafficking charges. McWilliams took his … Read more
Ever since one of its priests was convicted of federal pornography and sexual-abuse crimes, the Diocese of Cleveland has stood by its claims about the integrity of its seminary screening and formation program. However, recent revelations have cast a shadow over those assertions, calling into question both the effectiveness of St. Mary Seminary’s protocols and … Read more
McWilliams, who was ordained in 2017, destroys the bishops’ narrative that clergy abuse is something in the distant past. A Catholic priest was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for sexually exploiting boys, some of whom he extorted with details he gained from taking their confessions. U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi said the public needed … Read more
More details, as found in new federal filings with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, were released in the case against a former priest who pleaded guilty to numerous sex crimes involving children. The investigation into allegations against Robert McWilliams started in October 2019 after two Geauga County families came forward … Read more
An Ohio Catholic priest has been accused in a federal indictment of posing online as a female to persuade boys to send him sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and threatening to tell their parents if they did not send more images, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland alleged Thursday. Robert McWilliams, 40, followed … Read more
The Strongsville priest who was charged with possession of child pornography may be facing additional charges, according to the Geauga County Clerk of Courts. On Jan. 8, Reverend Robert McWilliams made his initial appearance in court and was charged with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance. Since that appearance, the Cuyahoga … Read more
A priest ordained in 2017 for the diocese of Cleveland, Ohio just had his bond related to child porn charges tripled. Geauga County Judge Terri Stupica raised the bond from $50,000 to $150,000 for Fr. Robert McWilliams owing to recent charges from multiple counties following his arrest last month. Stupica also ordered that McWilliams, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, avoid contact with any … Read more
A Catholic priest was arrested Thursday on charges of possessing child pornography. Investigators took St. Joseph Catholic Church Rev. Robert McWilliams into custody Thursday at the church. He is charged with four counts of possessing child pornography and one count of possessing criminal tools. The criminal complaint was filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. … Read more