Priest and Teacher Arrested for Decades-Old Sexual Abuse of a Minor
Delaware law enforcement has charged two men, a retired priest, and an elementary school teacher with sex crimes related to the abuse of a minor from allegations that stem back to the nineties. According to law enforcement officials, the two men, aged 80 and 57, have been charged with the continuous sexual abuse of a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse, and related charges following an investigation into their alleged activities from 1994 to 1996 when they both worked at St. Thomas the Apostle School and rectory.
Allegations against the two were uncovered, according to law enforcement, after an investigation began into the priest and a now-deceased fellow priest over their time working at St. Thomas the Apostle. According to the investigation, officials say that the priest repeatedly abused a victim through the child’s seventh and eighth grade years while he was enrolled at the church’s school. The abuse continued even after the child graduated from middle school and enrolled in high school.
The priest worked at the church from 1987 through 1998 and, in January of 1999, officials said, he was transferred to St. John the Apostle church in Milford, Delaware. The priest also worked at St. Helena’s in Wilmington, Delaware. Officials now say he lives in Georgia after retiring in 2004. The same investigation found allegations of abuse of the same victim by the teacher who worked at St. Thomas the Apostle School.
The teacher worked at the schools from 1994 to 1995. He was later removed from the school the following year after a student complaint, officials said. After leaving the school, the teacher worked at St. Matthews in Wilmington in 1999, then at Corpus Christi. Also, in 1999, officials said he worked at St. Hedwig’s in 2000. He is currently employed as an elementary school teacher in Florida, according to police officials.
“The State’s indictment alleges a pattern of gravely serious abuse against a juvenile by two adults in a position of trust,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings in a statement. “As prosecutors, and as parents, these kinds of cases keep us up at night — but they also give us purpose. The victim in this case suffered profound trauma over a period of years and deserves justice. I’m grateful to the police, prosecutors, and social workers who have been critical to this investigation and who are committed to getting justice.”
The two have been arrested in their home states of Georgia and Florida. Officials with the diocese said the teacher was apprehended at his home in Orlando, Florida on March 3, 2025. They said they will continue to cooperate with investigators into the teacher’s conduct throughout that period.
The Delaware Department of Justice is currently searching for other potential victims given the nature of the crimes and the perpetrator’s access to children.
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Source:
nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/priest-teacher-charged-in-decades-old-wilmington-del-child-sex-abuse-case/4136429/
