New Jersey Priests Accused of Abuse

Clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey is a major issue involving catholic priests and catholic clergy, with over 820 lawsuits filed against the diocese alleging clergy sex abuse and negligence. If you or a loved one has been a victim, having legal support is important to strengthen your case.

At Injury Lawyer Team, we are dedicated to helping clergy sex assault victims navigate the legal process to reach a favorable outcome. Our New Jersey clergy abuse lawyers will ensure you receive the justice and compensation you deserve.

New Jersey Catholic Diocese Priest Sex Abuse List

Archdiocese of Newark NJ

Robert Alcamo

• Accused

Public disclosure on February 13, 2019 placed Alcamo among clergy identified by the Archdiocese of Newark for misconduct involving a minor. Following the allegation, he was permanently removed from ministry and formally laicized. The archdiocese recorded that he was barred from all clerical functions, marking a definitive end to his ecclesiastical status.

Jorge Batista

• Accused

Batista’s name appeared on the Archdiocese of Newark’s public disclosure list issued February 13, 2019. The allegation concerned misconduct involving a minor and was recorded after his death. No ministerial action followed, as he was deceased at the time the archdiocese released its findings.

James T. Benedetto

• Accused

In February 2019, Benedetto was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Newark as accused of misconduct involving a minor. Church authorities permanently removed him from ministry following the allegation, and no subsequent clerical assignments were permitted.

John X. Berdeur

• Accused

Berdeur was named publicly by the Archdiocese of Newark on February 13, 2019, in connection with an allegation of abuse. He had died on March 23, 2005. The disclosure occurred years later as part of a retrospective review of historical cases.

John G. Biermann

• Sued

Civil litigation filed under New Jersey’s Victims’ Rights law in November 2021 publicly identified Biermann as accused. The claim proceeded through civil court, separate from any criminal prosecution or ecclesiastical adjudication.

Vincent Bonelli

• Accused

Bonelli was included on the Archdiocese of Newark’s February 13, 2019 disclosure list following an allegation of abuse. He died on April 2, 1975. The archdiocese released his name decades after his death during a broader transparency initiative.

John C. Bouton

• Accused

Bouton was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Newark in February 2019. The allegation related to misconduct with a minor during his clerical service. He died on March 11, 1986, long before the disclosure was made public.

Gerald K. Barry

• Settled

Barry appeared on his religious order’s roster of former and deceased brothers against whom multiple abuse claims were recorded. The allegations were addressed through civil settlements, and his inclusion followed institutional reporting rather than criminal adjudication.

Kevin M. Bray

• Settled

Allegations against Bray involved abuse of an adolescent boy during the mid-1980s. He died in 2000. The claim was later resolved through settlement, concluding civil proceedings tied to the reported misconduct.

David B. Burton

• Settled

Burton was identified by his religious order as a former brother associated with multiple abuse claims. The allegations were resolved through settlement agreements rather than criminal court action.

Michael Campanlonga

• Accused

Campanlonga was publicly named by the Archdiocese of Newark on February 13, 2019, following reports involving multiple victims. Church authorities permanently removed him from ministry and prohibited any further clerical activity.

John M. Capparelli

• Settled

Capparelli faced a growing number of civil lawsuits beginning in 2011 alleging abuse of a minor. He had previously been sent for treatment in 1992, surrendered his public-school teaching license in 2013, and was laicized around 2014. By 2021, approximately twenty lawsuits had been filed. He later died from a gunshot wound at his Nevada residence.

James A. Carey

• Accused

Carey was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Newark in February 2019 following an allegation of abuse. He was deceased at the time his name was released, and no disciplinary action followed the disclosure.

Richard J. Carrington

• Sued

Carrington was publicly named in a November 2021 lawsuit filed under New Jersey’s Victims’ Rights statute. At the time of the filing, he was serving as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Mountainside, New Jersey. The case proceeded through civil court.

Michael G. Campanalonga

• Sued

Campanalonga was accused of abusing three brothers over a period of years. He was permanently suspended from ministry in 1993 and formally dismissed from the clerical state in 2002 after multiple appeals. The allegations were addressed through civil litigation.

Joseph F.X. Cevetello

• Sued

The allegation against Cevetello concerned abuse of a thirteen-year-old boy during private First Communion preparation. The claim moved forward as a civil action rather than a criminal prosecution.

Robert H. Chabak

• Sued

After removal from St. Valentine Parish in Bloomfield, Chabak was reassigned to St. Mary of the Assumption in Elizabeth. He was later forced to leave that assignment following additional abuse allegations. Civil lawsuits followed these disclosures.

John B. Chaney

• Settled

Claims against Chaney were resolved during bankruptcy proceedings involving at least two complainants. While living at a Christian Brothers residence in West Park, New York, additional former students reported abuse dating to the 1960s and 1970s.

Peter A. Cheplic

• Settled

Cheplic was first accused in 2002, with additional allegations reported in 2005. He retired in 2006, had his ministerial privileges withdrawn, and was permanently removed from ministry. The claims were resolved through settlement.

Robert Coakley

• Sued

Coakley was accused of abusing two brothers during childhood. One of the alleged victims later died by suicide at age twelve. The allegations were pursued through civil litigation.

Dennis E. Cocozza

• Accused

Cocozza was removed from his assignment at the Church of the Assumption in Roselle Park in April 2002 following an allegation involving a minor from years earlier. He died on February 16, 2017, and was publicly listed as accused in February 2019.

Arturo Crespo

• Accused

Crespo was publicly named by the Archdiocese of Newark in February 2019 following an allegation of abuse. He was permanently removed from ministry and barred from further clerical service.

William S. Crouse

• Accused

The allegation against Crouse concerned abuse of a fourteen-year-old boy during the late 1960s while he was assigned to his order’s monastery in Montclair. He admitted to an inappropriate relationship and died in 2009.

John H. Dagwell

• Guilty plea

Known as Brother Aloysius, Dagwell joined the Xaverians in 1962 and pleaded guilty in 1988 to abusing a student. He left the order in 2002 and later worked in higher education in Florida.

Hadmels R. DeFrias

• Sentenced

Originally from the Dominican Republic, DeFrias was accused of inappropriate contact with two brothers under fourteen while they worked at the rectory of St. Mary’s of the Assumption in Elizabeth during 2001 and 2002. He was removed from parish duties and active priesthood.

Peter C. Del Negro

• Sued

Del Negro was publicly identified in a November 2021 civil lawsuit filed under New Jersey’s Victims’ Rights statute. The allegation proceeded through civil court.

Nicholas A. DiMarzio

• Sued

DiMarzio served as Auxiliary Bishop of Newark and later as Bishop of Camden and Brooklyn. An allegation of abuse involving an altar boy in the mid-1970s led the Vatican to order an investigation. He retired several weeks later.

Salvatore DiStefano

• Accused

DiStefano was identified by the archdiocese as the subject of a credible complaint of misconduct. The disclosure did not include further public detail regarding assignments or disciplinary measures.

John J. Donohue

• Accused

Donohue was publicly identified by the archdiocese in March 2019 following reports involving multiple victims. He was permanently removed from ministry and prohibited from further clerical activity.

Yusaf Dominic

• Convicted

Dominic was accused of abusing boys across several countries. He was later located working in Italy in 2004. Criminal proceedings resulted in a conviction related to abuse involving minors.

William J. Dowd

• Settled

Dowd faced allegations from two men concerning abuse during childhood and was acquitted. Separate allegations involving a girl in 1971 were later dismissed. Related civil claims were resolved through settlement.

Thomas F. Duffy

• Accused

Duffy was publicly named by the Archdiocese of Newark in February 2019 following an allegation of abuse. He was deceased at the time of disclosure.

John J. Egan

• Sued

Egan was publicly identified in a November 2021 civil lawsuit filed under New Jersey’s Victims’ Rights statute. He died on July 23, 1999.

Robert P. Egan

• Sued

A monsignor and longtime director of New Jersey Boys Town, Egan was publicly named in a November 2021 lawsuit alleging abuse. He died on August 14, 1998.

David A. Ernst

• Settled

Over several decades, multiple individuals accused Ernst of abuse connected to his work as a teacher at Our Lady Help of Christians School in East Orange between 1954 and 1969. The claims were resolved through settlement.

Joseph P. Fagan

• Accused

Fagan was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Newark in February 2019 following an allegation of abuse. He was deceased when the disclosure was made public.

Eugene Fanelli

• Sued

Fanelli, a monsignor, was accused by multiple individuals of abuse during assignments at Holy Redeemer and Our Lady of Libera between 1975 and 1977. He died on May 9, 2000. Civil litigation followed the allegations.

Edward J. Eilert

• Sued

In 2002, an allegation was raised that Eilert sexually abused a teenage girl. The matter was not prosecuted after the statute of limitations had expired. Following the disclosure, he was permanently removed from ministry by the archdiocese, and no return to clerical duties was permitted.

John L. Flanagan

• Sued

Flanagan was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Newark in 2019. A civil lawsuit filed in December 2019 alleged sexual abuse of a boy. The claim proceeded through the civil system rather than criminal court, and the allegation became part of the archdiocese’s broader public disclosures.

Thomas Cuthbert Ford

• Convicted

An Irish and U.S. citizen, Ford was accused of abusing five boys at the Mount Cashel orphanage in Newfoundland between 1956 and 1959. He was later identified by the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers in 2014 for abuse of a boy at Damien Memorial School around 1970, reflecting misconduct across multiple decades and institutions.

Maurus McBarron

• Settled

McBarron was accused of sexually abusing a girl between the ages of thirteen and fourteen during the years 1977 to 1979. The claim was resolved through a civil settlement. He died in 1987, years before the allegation became publicly documented.

George D. Gillen

• Accused

Gillen was named in a case settled in 2008 involving allegations that he sexually abused a boy who had been sent to him for counseling. Despite the settlement, Gillen remained in active ministry for a period following the disclosure of the allegation.

Michael C. Fugee

• Convicted

In 2001, Fugee was accused of inappropriate contact with a boy in 1999. Criminal proceedings resulted in a conviction for aggravated criminal conduct involving a minor. He was sentenced to lifetime parole supervision and permanently barred from ministry following the conviction.

John J. Galeano

• Sued

A civil lawsuit filed in November 2021 alleged that Galeano sexually abused a minor, approximately age seventeen, around 2016. In 2019, he relinquished his duties at St. Joseph’s Parish in Bogota, New Jersey, following separate allegations involving inappropriate contact with an adult.

Lawrence Gadek

• Settled

Gadek was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 disclosure list. He was permanently removed from ministry, and the allegation was resolved through a civil settlement rather than criminal prosecution.

Richard Galdon

• Convicted

Galdon took leave from ministry in 1986 and was suspended the following year. In 1987, he was convicted of sexual abuse involving three boys. At the time of conviction, he was serving at a treatment facility for clergy. He died in 2000.

Manuel Gallo Espinoza

• Indicted

Espinoza, a visiting priest at St. Mary’s Parish in Plainfield, New Jersey, was accused of sexually assaulting a fifteen-year-old boy in a parish rectory. He was removed from ministry and fled to Ecuador, where he later died by suicide following a shooting incident involving multiple victims.

Michael Garner

• Sued

Garner, affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth in Morris Township, was accused of sexually abusing a girl beginning in 1969 when she was eight years old. The alleged abuse occurred in his office setting, and the claim proceeded through civil litigation.

Robert G. Gibney

• Settled

Gibney was accused of sexually abusing a boy at Sacred Heart School and Parish in Vailsburg between 1961 and 1963. The allegation was resolved through a civil settlement many years after the alleged abuse occurred.

William Giblin

• Charges Dropped

Giblin served early assignments in North Arlington and Rutherford, later becoming pastor of St. Joseph Parish in East Orange from 1989 to 2000. He was arrested in Canada in July 2002 during an investigation involving illegal activity with minors. The charges were dropped, he was placed on leave, retired, and died in 2011.

Peter Leo Gerety

• Sued

Gerety served as a priest in Hartford, later as Bishop of Portland, and eventually as Archbishop of Newark. A lawsuit alleged that he sexually abused a girl beginning at age five during the mid-1970s. He lived to age 104, and the allegation emerged late in his life.

Augustine M. Giella

• Settled

In 1992, church officials were informed that Giella had sexually abused a child. A settlement with his family was reached in 1993 for approximately $900,000. Two additional claims were resolved through settlements in 2001, reflecting multiple allegations across different periods.

Charles P. Granstrand

• Accused

In September 2010, Granstrand publicly acknowledged that the Bergen County Prosecutor had investigated allegations involving abuse of young children. No criminal charges were filed following the investigation, and the matter remained within civil and administrative channels.

Alan Guglielmo

• Accused

Guglielmo was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 disclosure list. He was permanently removed from ministry following the allegation and did not return to clerical service.

John J. Gurski

• Sued

Gurski was publicly named in November 2021 in a civil lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. He died on April 10, 2009, years before the claim was formally brought.

Kevin A. Gugliotta

• Convicted

Gugliotta was suspended in 2003, later reinstated without restrictions, and permitted to serve as a youth group chaplain. In October 2016, he was arrested on charges involving illegal material related to minors. He pleaded guilty in March 2017, was sentenced to prison, and permanently removed from ministry.

Michael H. Hansen

• Settled

Hansen was accused of sexually abusing a boy between 1980 and 1981 while assigned to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in West Orange. The allegation was resolved through a civil settlement.

Bruce Harger

• Accused

Harger resigned in June 2020 as pastor of the Church of the Epiphany in Cliffside Park after an allegation of abuse was raised. He denied the accusation, and the matter proceeded through archdiocesan review rather than criminal court.

Joseph Heeney

• Sued

Heeney was publicly named in November 2021 as an accused cleric in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The claim was part of a broader wave of civil filings following changes to state law.

Charles W. Hartling

• Accused

Hartling became a Marist Brother in 1959 and taught at Roselle Catholic High School until 1976. He later entered seminary formation and was ordained in 1979. Allegations surfaced years after his transition from religious brother to priest.

Charles W. Herr

• Settled

Herr was accused of sexually abusing a boy over a prolonged period between 1971 and 1978. The claim was resolved through a civil settlement in 2007.

Andrew Thomas Hewitt

• Convicted

Hewitt was accused of sexually abusing a male high school freshman. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to undergo inpatient treatment. He died in 2002 and was later listed by the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers in 2014.

Jerome Heustis

• Settled

Heustis was accused of sexually abusing a boy at Essex Catholic High School in Newark. A civil lawsuit alleged abuse by multiple members of the same religious order, and the claims were resolved through settlement.

Eugene P. Heyndricks

• Convicted

Heyndricks was arrested in 2002 on charges involving illegal activity related to minors. He pleaded guilty in 2003 and was sentenced to probation with restrictions. He died in 2007.

Charles J. Hudson

• Accused

Hudson was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 list. He died on January 21, 1997, and the allegation was disclosed posthumously.

Vincent Jerome

• Settled

Jerome was associated with Marist Brothers’ High School and Roselle Catholic High School. Allegations of abuse were resolved through a civil settlement rather than criminal proceedings.

James Richard Kelly

• Sued

Kelly was publicly named in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill by Attorney Jeff Anderson. He died on November 10, 2017.

Stanley S. Kostrzomb

• Sued

Kostrzomb was publicly named in November 2021 in civil litigation alleging abuse. He died on December 22, 2019.

Stephen M. Kilcarr

• Settled

Kilcarr was accused of sexually abusing a child during the 1960s. One claim resulted in a civil settlement, and a second allegation was later reported to the archdiocese.

John E. Komar

• Arrested

Komar was arrested in 2003 for viewing illegal material involving minors on a work computer. He was placed on leave following the arrest and later died.

Kevin Kortina

• Accused

Kortina was publicly named by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 disclosure list. His assignments included multiple schools and parishes across the archdiocese.

James F. Kuntz

• Guilty Plea

Kuntz pleaded guilty to possession of illegal material involving minors. He was sentenced to prison followed by supervised release and permanently barred from ministry.

John J. Laferrera

• Settled

Laferrera was accused by at least eleven individuals of sexual abuse and later removed from ministry. He was also accused of participation in an organized exploitation network involving children, with claims resolved through settlement.

Joao Bosco Lima

• Sued

Lima was publicly named in November 2021 as an accused cleric in a civil lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. He died on July 23, 2021.

John Lawlor

• Settled

Lawlor was listed by the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers’ North American Province as having been accused by multiple individuals in bankruptcy proceedings. The claims were resolved through settlement.

Rene Cavalcanti de Lima

• Accused

A former member of the Society of Divine Vocations, Lima was accused of sexually abusing a thirteen-year-old altar boy in the late 1980s. He remained in active ministry as of May 2019.

Peter Louis

• Sued

Louis was publicly named in November 2021 in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill alleging sexual abuse.

Francis T. Maione

• Accused

Maione was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 disclosure list. He was permanently removed from ministry following the allegation.

Albert Mark

• Sued

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian prepared a civil lawsuit alleging abuse involving Mark and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. The claim proceeded within the expanded civil window provided by New Jersey law.

Robert G. Marotta

• Accused

Marotta was publicly named as accused by the archdiocese on its February 13, 2019 list. He died on November 7, 2012, and the allegation was disclosed posthumously.

Kenneth L. Martin

• Settled

Martin was accused of sexually abusing two teenage brothers at St. Andrew Parish in Bayonne beginning in 1978. He was removed from ministry in 2002, later reassigned, and removed again in 2013. The claims were resolved through settlement.

John R. McAulay

• Accused

McAulay, a deacon, was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 list. He was permanently removed from ministry following the allegation.

William McCann

• Accused

McCann, a monsignor, was publicly named as accused by the archdiocese. Allegations involved multiple victims. He died on February 21, 1976.

Horacio Daniel Medina

• Convicted

Medina, a Honduran priest, was accused of sexually abusing a fourteen-year-old boy in 1999. He was laicized in 2013 following internal archdiocesan action related to the conviction.

Maurice F. Meyers

• Accused

Meyers faced multiple allegations of sexual abuse tied to his assignments at scout camps and educational institutions between 1956 and 1977. The allegations spanned more than two decades.

William G. Mink

• Sued

Mink was publicly named in November 2021 as accused. He later left the priesthood, married, raised a family, and died in April 2020.

Richard J. Mieliwocki

• Convicted

Mieliwocki was accused of sexually abusing two youths in 1988. His counseling license was suspended, and he was arrested in 2004. A plea agreement resulted in probation and community service.

Thomas Mousley

• Accused

Mousley, a deacon, was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 list. He was permanently removed from ministry.

Robert J. Morel

• Convicted

Morel was placed on leave in 1993 and convicted in 1994 of criminal conduct involving a minor. He was sentenced to probation. Allegations described repeated abuse of a boy over several years beginning at age nine.

John Murphy

• Sued

In November 2021, Murphy was publicly named in civil litigation filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The filing identified him as an accused cleric of the Archdiocese of Newark. The record reflects uncertainty due to multiple priests within the archdiocese sharing the same name, and the allegation was disclosed through civil proceedings rather than criminal prosecution.

Anthony G. Nardino

• Sued

A civil lawsuit filed in July 2020 alleged that Nardino engaged in unpermitted sexual contact with an eleven-year-old boy in 1978. By the time the claim surfaced, Nardino had reportedly left the priesthood during the 1980s. The allegation was addressed through civil channels decades after the alleged conduct.

Dermod Nash

• Sued

Nash was included on his religious order’s list of former and deceased members associated with multiple abuse claims. The disclosures emerged through civil proceedings rather than criminal adjudication, and his name appeared as part of broader institutional accountability actions tied to historical misconduct.

John P. Nickas

• Settled

Nickas was accused of abusing a boy and providing alcohol, allegations that were initially reviewed by the diocesan board and deemed not credible. A subsequent claim by another man prompted reinvestigation. The matter concluded through settlement processes rather than criminal charges, reflecting unresolved but documented allegations.

Michael J. O’Brien

• Accused

O’Brien was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 disclosure list. Incardinated into the archdiocese in 1977, he later faced allegations involving abuse during his clerical career. He was deceased at the time the archdiocese released the public acknowledgment.

John L. O’Sullivan

• Sued

A lawsuit filed in March 2021 alleged that O’Sullivan sexually abused a student at Bergen Catholic High School in the early 1960s. During the period cited, he served as the school’s band moderator. The claim surfaced decades later and proceeded through civil litigation.

Timothy Joseph O’Sullivan

• Settled

O’Sullivan was identified in multiple civil claims that resulted in settlements or arbitration awards. By July 2017, additional former students came forward with allegations tied to his time in educational settings. The volume of claims expanded over time, reflecting repeated reports across different periods.

Contardo Angelo Omarini

• Sued

A civil lawsuit alleged that Omarini, a Pauline Father, repeatedly assaulted a teenage boy during the early to mid-1960s. The claim stated that the abuse occurred in multiple locations, including Plainville and at the order’s abbey on Staten Island, and asserted that other victims were involved.

Robert J. Patterson

• Settled

Patterson was accused of sexually abusing a ten-year-old boy in 1969 while assigned to Our Lady of Good Counsel parish. The claim was resolved in May 2020 through a settlement reported to be in the mid-six figures. Patterson died on January 18, 2008.

Keith F. Pecklers

• Settled

Pecklers was accused by a man who reported abuse during his teenage years in 1976 at St. Paul’s Parish in Jersey City. At the time, Pecklers served as music director and later pursued advanced Jesuit studies in Rome. The matter was resolved through settlement.

Victor Phelan

• Settled

A settlement was announced in September 2013 on behalf of one individual who accused Phelan of abuse. Much of Phelan’s clerical career was spent in Africa, and the allegation emerged later through civil disclosure rather than criminal prosecution.

Ruben Mark Padilla

• Sued

Padilla was included on his religious order’s list of former and deceased members associated with multiple abuse claims. His inclusion reflected civil accountability measures rather than criminal proceedings and was disclosed through litigation-related processes.

Silverius J. Quigley

• Sued

Quigley was publicly named in November 2021 in litigation filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. Ordained in 1903, he died in 1960. The allegation surfaced long after his death through civil court filings addressing historical abuse.

Thomas H. Reilly

• Accused

Reilly was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 disclosure list. The allegation was made public posthumously, as Reilly was deceased at the time of disclosure.

Jesus Orlando Rengifo

• Accused

Rengifo was publicly identified by the archdiocese in its February 13, 2019 list of accused clergy. Following the allegation, he was permanently removed from ministry. The disclosure marked formal acknowledgment of misconduct without criminal adjudication.

Joseph P. Rice

• Settled

Rice was removed from ministry in 2002 following allegations of abuse involving a teenage girl. Church authorities found the claims credible, though no criminal charges were filed. He later lived without restrictions at a residence for retired priests in Rutherford, New Jersey, and died in 2014. Multiple individuals were associated with allegations.

Donald Richard

• Settled

A civil claim alleged that Richard abused a girl between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. The case was resolved through settlement in 2021, concluding the matter without criminal proceedings.

Peter Russell

• Sued

Russell worked at St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale during the 1980s. A lawsuit filed in July 2020 accused him of abusing a boy between the ages of fourteen and seventeen from approximately 1980 to 1983. The claim proceeded through civil court.

Gerald P. Ruane

• Sued

Ruane was accused of abusing a boy during the 1970s and 1980s. He was permitted to retire in 2004 without ministerial privileges. The allegation was later addressed through civil litigation rather than criminal prosecution.

Mario Salazar

• Accused

Salazar was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its February 13, 2019 list. Multiple individuals were associated with allegations tied to his clerical service. He was deceased when the archdiocese issued the disclosure.

Robert Satterthwaite

• Sued

Included on the order’s list of former and deceased brothers with at least two claims of sexual abuse against them, as required by its bankruptcy settlement in 2014. No details provided as to when and where the alleged abuse occurred. Placing Satterthwaite in the Archdiocese of Newark, where the Irish Christian Brothers’ North American Province is based. Satterthwaite is deceased.

Paul D. Schetelick

• Sued

Schetelick, a monsignor, was publicly named in November 2021 in litigation filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The allegation was disclosed through civil proceedings rather than criminal court.

Eileen Shaw

• Settled

Shaw was accused of abusing a girl in 1994. Following the allegation, she was removed from her role as principal of an elementary school. At the time of the accusation, she was serving as administrator of a retirement home for nuns. The matter concluded through settlement.

William R. Smalley

• Sued

Smalley was publicly named in November 2021 in civil litigation under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. He died on April 5, 2000, and the allegation was disclosed posthumously.

Alice Bernadette

• Sued

Bernadette, a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, was accused of restraining a ten-year-old girl while another cleric assaulted her. The allegation emerged through civil litigation addressing institutional responsibility.

Sr. Andre

• Accused

Andre was accused of abusing a girl in 1965. The allegation was initially dismissed internally, but later reconsidered after the accuser’s personal journals and letters were reviewed by the order’s leadership.

Carmen Sita

• Convicted

Gerald Howard, associated with the alias Carmen Sita, was arrested in 1982 for abusing a minor and supplying drugs. He received probation and treatment, then later pleaded guilty to a serious assault involving three teenage boys, resulting in criminal accountability.

Sr. Regina

• Sued

Two men filed a civil lawsuit in 2005 alleging that they were abused by Regina while residing at Sacred Heart Orphanage in New Jersey. The claims focused on conduct during their childhood and were addressed through civil court.

Leonard P. Spanburgh

• Settled

Spanburgh was accused of abusing an altar boy between the approximate ages of nine and thirteen from 1970 to 1973. He died in 1983. The allegation was later resolved through settlement.

Edward J. Stanley

• Accused

Stanley was publicly named as accused by the Archdiocese of Newark on its March 19, 2019 disclosure list. He died in 1985, and the allegation was acknowledged posthumously.

Robert Stauffer

• Accused

Stauffer was publicly identified on the archdiocese’s February 13, 2019 list. Following the allegation, he was permanently removed from ministry and did not return to clerical service.

Thomas A. Stanford

• Settled

Stanford, a deacon at St. Paul’s Parish in Jersey City, was accused by a man who reported abuse during his teenage years. Stanford left the priesthood in the mid-1980s and later worked as a lay employee in another diocese until termination following settlement.

Michael E. Stoyles

• Sued

Stoyles was listed among former and deceased members of his religious order associated with multiple abuse claims, disclosed through civil accountability processes.

Robert T. Svec

• Accused

Svec was publicly named on the Archdiocese of Newark’s February 13, 2019 disclosure list. Allegations involved multiple individuals. He died in 1985, and the acknowledgment occurred posthumously.

George Trabold

• Settled

Trabold, a monsignor, was placed on leave in 2014 after an allegation of abuse surfaced. The archdiocese deemed the allegation credible, and the matter was resolved through settlement.

Gerard J. Sudol

• Settled

Sudol served as a hospital chaplain from 1995 to 2002. He was removed from ministry following allegations involving abuse of an altar boy and a separate claim involving a thirteen-year-old girl in 1985. The claims were resolved through settlement, and he was permanently removed from ministry.

Michael Walters

• Settled

Walters faced multiple accusations from both boys and girls alleging abuse during the early 1980s and later years. He denied the allegations. The claims were resolved through settlement rather than criminal proceedings.

Allen Weber

• Sued

Weber was publicly named in November 2021 in civil litigation filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill, identifying him as an accused cleric.

Peter M. Walsh

• Convicted

Walsh was arrested in 1993 for public indecency involving five boys and convicted in 1994, receiving probation. Additional allegations involved inappropriate contact with an adult male during the late 1980s.

Edward F. Wojtycha

• Accused

In October 2020, a man alleged that Wojtycha sexually abused him repeatedly during childhood, beginning at age seven, with abuse occurring at St. Andrew’s parish in Bayonne, hotels, and a Jersey Shore residence, alongside another priest. Wojtycha served as parish priest at St. Vincent de Paul in Bayonne from 1938 to 1963, later pastoring parishes in Jersey City and Bayonne, retiring in 1985. He died June 8, 2009.

Peter F. Zemeikis

• Sued

Zemeikis was publicly named in November 2021 in civil litigation. He retired in 1990, later left the priesthood, married, and died on December 8, 2015.

Benedict Worry

• Settled

Initially known as Brother Michael, Worry taught at Manogue High School and later directed youth programs before ordination as a Benedictine priest. He later taught at Delbarton School for eighteen years. Allegations were resolved through settlement.

Robert E. Zasacki

• Accused

Ordained for the Archdiocese of Newark, Zasacki was sent to Minnesota in 1980 for treatment related to alcoholism. He later ministered in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and was formally incardinated there in 1987. In 2002, he was permanently removed from ministry following an allegation involving abuse of a youth dating to the early 1970s in Newark. Zasacki died in March 2008 at age 67. His name was included on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis list of credibly accused clergy in December 2013 and appeared on the Archdiocese of Newark’s public list released February 13, 2019.

Diocese of Camden NJ

Joseph P. Barber

• Settled

An allegation surfaced that Barber sexually abused a six-year-old girl in 1961 while assigned to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish. The claim was later resolved through a civil settlement. No criminal prosecution occurred, and the allegation became part of the diocese’s historical abuse disclosures.

Michael L. Barber

• Accused

Identified by the Jesuits’ Maryland Province in 1994 as the subject of an abuse allegation, Barber was removed from ministry following the disclosure. He was reassigned to the Colombiere Jesuit Community in Baltimore, where he lived under supervision after leaving active pastoral work.

Charles C. Beausang

• Settled

A monsignor accused of abusing a nine-year-old boy in 1950, Beausang was publicly named decades later. The civil claim was resolved in 2020 through a four-figure settlement, closing the matter without criminal proceedings.

Claude J. Bender

• Settled

A former parish priest, Bender was accused of abusing a boy during the 1970s. Diocesan officials stated they became aware of the allegation only after his death. The claim was later settled as part of civil proceedings.

Henry S. Blaszczynski

• Settled

Blaszczynski was accused of sexually abusing a girl during the 1950s or 1960s and was later named in a RICO pleading related to clergy abuse litigation. He died in 1986. Civil claims connected to the allegation were resolved without trial.

John P. Bernard

• Settled

Serving as a parish priest, vocations director, and military chaplain, Bernard was accused of abusing a boy over a five-year period beginning in 1972. He was permanently removed from ministry in 1992. The allegation was later resolved through a settlement.

John F. Bloh

• Accused

Bloh, a parish priest and educator, was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Camden. He remained out of ministry following the disclosure and died in 2019.

Marjan L. Bober

• Sued

Accused of abusing a youth in the 1990s and named in a RICO petition, Bober continued in ministry for years before retiring to Florida. He died on July 23, 2017. Civil claims against him proceeded through litigation.

John D. Bohrer

• Accused

Publicly identified by the diocese in January 2019, Bohrer was accused of abusing a teenage boy during the mid-1980s. He was removed from ministry and retired on December 31, 2018.

Joseph J. Brennan

• Settled

Originally from Ireland, Brennan arrived in New Jersey in 1945 and was later accused of abusing a boy between the ages of twelve and fourteen at St. Maurice’s parish from 1957 to 1959. He died in 1976, and the claim was later settled.

David F. Budney

• Sued

Budney served as a parish priest, high school teacher, and monsignor. He was publicly identified as the subject of civil claims alleging child sexual abuse. The matters were addressed through litigation rather than criminal court.

William B. Cannon

• Accused

Cannon was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Camden in 2019. He had died on February 1, 1998, long before the disclosure of the allegation.

Gerald P. Clements

• Settled

Clements was accused of abusing a twelve-year-old boy in the early 1970s. A civil lawsuit filed in 1993 resulted in a $45,000 settlement. He was placed on restricted ministry, later permanently removed, and died in 2010.

Norman T. Connelly

• Settled

Accused of abusing at least three boys, Connelly was suspended in 1993 and permanently removed from ministry. He was also named in a 1994 RICO lawsuit addressing systemic clergy abuse.

John P. Connor

• Settled

Arrested in 1984 for abusing a fourteen-year-old boy, Connor underwent treatment before being transferred between dioceses. He was later named in the Philadelphia Grand Jury report and permanently removed from ministry in 2002.

Rocco A. Continillo

• Sued

A longtime pastor of Corpus Christi parish in Carneys Point, Continillo was publicly named in 2021 as part of the Camden diocese’s bankruptcy-related abuse claims. He retired in 2005 and died in 2007.

Michael H. D’Amico

• Accused

D’Amico was accused of abusing a thirteen-year-old boy in 1964 while assigned to Most Holy Redeemer parish in Westville Grove. The allegation became public decades later through diocesan disclosures.

Charles J. Davis

• Accused

An allegation emerged in 2002 that Davis abused a boy during his first parish assignment. He was transferred repeatedly within a short period and later included on the diocese’s public list of accused clergy in 2019.

Kenneth Demarest

• Accused

A permanent deacon assigned to parishes in Swedesboro and Woodstown, Demarest was publicly named as accused by the diocese in 2019. He was removed from ministry following the allegation.

Vincent A. Doyle

• Accused

Ordained in Ireland, Doyle was later named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Camden. He died in 1983, years before the allegation was disclosed.

Robert Dunphy

• Settled

Dunphy was accused of abusing an altar boy in 1971. A civil claim related to the allegation was settled in December 2019 for an amount reported in the low six figures.

Eldridge T. Evans

• Accused

Evans was publicly identified as accused by the Diocese of Camden in 2019. He died the same year, shortly before the public disclosure.

John E. Follett

• Accused

Named publicly as accused by the diocese in 2019, Follett had died in 1996. The allegation surfaced posthumously during diocesan reviews.

Francis J. Flemming

• Settled

Flemming faced allegations from two men who said he abused them as minors beginning in the early 1960s. Both claims were dismissed in January 2003, concluding the civil proceedings.

A. Richard Gerbino

• Settled

Gerbino was publicly named by the diocese in 2019 and was also involved in a 2017 settlement with the daughter of a man allegedly abused in the 1960s. The settlement resolved the civil claim.

Edward J. Gillespie

• Charged

Gillespie was publicly identified by the Diocese of Camden in 2019 and arrested on two counts of criminal sexual contact involving minors, tied to incidents alleged to have occurred in December 1986 and December 1987. As of the last publicly available disclosures from the diocese and court reporting, no additional public resolution or sentencing outcome has been announced, and his status remains tied to the original criminal charges.

Jesus Danilo Giraldo

• Sued

Giraldo was named publicly in 2021 in connection with abuse claims filed during the Diocese of Camden’s bankruptcy proceedings. The allegations were handled through civil litigation as part of the broader restructuring process. No separate criminal case or later public disciplinary update has been disclosed beyond his inclusion in the bankruptcy-related claims.

Roy T. Hardin

• Accused

Hardin was accused by a man who reported being abused as a teenager in 1976. Following the allegation, the diocese permanently suspended Hardin from ministry. There have been no publicly reported criminal proceedings or subsequent updates beyond his removal from ministerial duties.

Thomas M. Harkins

• Settled

Harkins was accused in a civil lawsuit filed in 2012 by a woman who alleged repeated abuse in 1980 and 1981 at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Hammonton. The case was resolved through an out-of-court settlement in 2014 under confidential terms. 

Walter Hicks

• Sued

Allegations surfaced that Hicks abused a boy between the ages of seven and nine during the period from 1978 to 1980. The complainant came forward by at least 2003, initiating civil litigation. The claims centered on misconduct occurring during Hicks’s active priestly service within the Diocese of Camden. No criminal conviction has been recorded publicly, and the matter proceeded through civil channels.

James Francis Hopkins

• Convicted

Transferred from the Diocese of Pittsburgh to Camden in 1973, Hopkins was removed from ministry in 1995 following an allegation involving a boy. In 2005, he was convicted of sexual abuse and sentenced to eight years in prison. By June 12, 2011, his name appeared on the New Jersey sex offender registry, reflecting his criminal conviction and custodial sentence.

Francis Hudson

• Accused

An allegation made public in 2004 asserted that Hudson abused a student in 1975. After taking indefinite leave in 1991, he was suspended without faculties. At the time the allegation became public, Hudson was teaching at an Augustinian high school and was dismissed immediately. He denied the accusation. His name was later included on the Diocese of Camden’s accused list released February 13, 2019.

Edward A. Igle

• Settled

Claims alleged that Igle engaged in serious misconduct with a boy between the ages of fourteen and seventeen during the 1970s. He took a voluntary leave of absence from the priesthood in 2000 and did not return to ministry. The Diocese of Camden later stated that his departure was related to abuse allegations. The matter was resolved through a civil settlement.

Anthony William Johnson

• Accused

Johnson was publicly identified by the Diocese of Camden in February 2019 in connection with abuse allegations. He left the diocese in 1967 and later appeared on a separate list released by the Diocese of Charleston in 2019. Johnson died on March 1, 2012. The allegations relate to his earlier period of ministry prior to his departure from Camden.

Kenneth L. Johnston

• Sued

Serving as both a parish pastor and high school principal, Johnston was accused of abusing a boy during the 1973–1974 period. The claims resulted in civil litigation alleging misconduct during his leadership roles. No criminal conviction has been publicly recorded, and the allegations were addressed through the civil court process.

John P. Kelly

• Settled

Kelly was accused of abuse involving six youths spanning the 1970s and 1980s. He was removed from ministry in 1992. In 2005, he was sued in connection with abuse of a twelve-year-old boy. The claims were resolved through settlement, marking the end of his ministerial involvement within the Diocese of Camden.

Albert Koch

• Sued

A civil lawsuit alleged that Koch abused a fourteen-year-old girl during the summer of 1974 at the Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point. The claim focused on misconduct occurring during a retreat setting. The matter proceeded through civil litigation, with no publicly reported criminal prosecution.

Charles E. Kuhl

• Accused

Kuhl was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Camden on its list released February 13, 2019. The allegations relate to conduct during his priestly service prior to his death on November 2, 2002. No additional public disciplinary or criminal outcomes were disclosed following his inclusion on the diocesan list.

Edward Lucano

• Accused

Lucano was included on the Diocese of Camden’s list of accused clergy released February 13, 2019. The allegations concern conduct during his period of ministry before his death in 1982. No public criminal proceedings were reported, and the disclosure occurred decades after his death.

Dermott F. Lyons

• Accused

Lyons was publicly identified by the Diocese of Camden in February 2019 in connection with abuse allegations tied to his clerical service. He died on June 13, 1995. The allegations became part of the diocese’s retrospective disclosure of accused clergy rather than a contemporaneous legal case.

Patrick J. Madden

• Accused

Madden was named on the Diocese of Camden’s list of accused clergy released February 13, 2019. The allegations relate to misconduct during his ministry prior to his death on February 28, 1999. No public criminal proceedings or civil resolutions were reported following his posthumous disclosure.

Philip A. Mathews

• Settled

Mathews was accused of abusing a boy in 1966 at an Atlantic City hotel. He went on leave in 1973 and never returned to active ministry. The allegation was later addressed through a civil settlement. His departure from ministry marked the conclusion of his clerical career within the Diocese of Camden.

Francis A. McCloskey

• Sued

McCloskey, a monsignor, was named as an alleged abuser in a large RICO pleading filed in 1994. The claims related to conduct during his earlier priestly service. McCloskey had died on January 20, 1974, decades before the civil action was filed, and the allegations surfaced posthumously.

John J. McElroy Jr.

• Convicted

McElroy was arrested in 1988 and convicted of abusing a twelve-year-old boy. In 1990, he sued the Diocese of Camden, though the case was dismissed. His name later appeared on the diocese’s list of accused clergy released February 13, 2019, reflecting his criminal conviction and removal from ministry.

Joseph F. McGarvey

• Settled

McGarvey was sued by three individuals and settled claims in 1993 for $384,000. Subsequent allegations asserted that he abused a boy between the ages of five and six during 1977–1978 while assigned to St. Mary Magdalen in Millville. His case involved multiple civil claims resolved through settlement.

James P. McIntyre

• Settled

McIntyre was sued in 1994 over alleged abuse at St. Pius X Parish. After prolonged litigation, the lawsuit was dismissed in 2003 following credibility findings. Despite the dismissal, the matter remained part of the diocese’s historical record of allegations addressed through civil proceedings.

Francis J. McLaughlin

• Accused

McLaughlin was publicly identified by the Diocese of Camden on its accused list released February 13, 2019. The allegations related to his period of priestly service prior to his death on October 7, 1997. No public criminal case or civil settlement details were disclosed in connection with his listing.

John J. Morel

• Convicted

Morel was sued in a 1994 RICO petition and later pleaded guilty in 1995 to harassment by touching. Two male cousins alleged abuse during the time he was assigned to Holy Family parish in Union City. His guilty plea resulted in a criminal conviction. Morel died in 2016.

Daniel F. M. Millard

• Sued

Millard was accused in a 1994 New Jersey RICO pleading filed by a woman alleging abuse by her uncle. Her sister also reported abuse. Millard had died in 1973, and the allegations surfaced decades later through civil litigation addressing historical abuse claims.

Patrick Joseph Mulligan

• Accused

Mulligan was named as credibly accused by the Diocese of Camden in disclosures issued between 2019 and 2023. He was laicized following the allegations. The claims relate to conduct during his priestly service prior to his removal from clerical status.

John P. O’Brien

• Sued

O’Brien was accused of child abuse while assigned to St. Stephen’s parish in Pennsauken and Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill between 1964 and 1966. The allegations were raised through civil litigation. O’Brien died on November 28, 1976, years before the claims were formally filed.

Daniel James Norton

• Accused

Norton, a monsignor, served as a parish priest, high school faculty member in Gloucester County, and missionary assigned to Brazil. He was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Camden in later disclosures. The allegations relate to misconduct during his varied clerical assignments across parish, educational, and missionary roles.

Laserian I. Nwoga

• Sued

Nwoga was accused of inappropriate contact with a seventeen-year-old girl in 2001. A diocesan investigation concluded the conduct crossed boundaries and was deemed inappropriate, yet officials stated it did not meet the diocese’s internal threshold for abuse. The matter proceeded through civil channels rather than criminal prosecution.

Joseph F. O’Connell

• Sued

O’Connell was publicly identified in June 2021 in connection with abuse claims filed during the Camden diocese’s bankruptcy proceedings. Elevated to monsignor in 1989, he remained a prominent cleric until his death on February 29, 2008. The allegations emerged posthumously through civil filings.

John J. O’Sullivan

• Sued

Ordained for the Diocese of Brooklyn, O’Sullivan was named in a 1994 RICO pleading as a known abuser. Catholic Directories listed him as absent on sick leave in multiple years during the late 1980s and mid-1990s, reflecting an extended withdrawal from active ministry amid unresolved allegations.

John Lawrence O’Connor

• Accused

O’Connor was listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Camden in disclosures issued in 2022. He died in 2002, years before the allegations were formally made public. The claims relate to conduct during his earlier period of priestly service.

Joseph E. Orsini

• Settled

Orsini was accused in a 1994 RICO pleading of repeated criminal misconduct involving a minor boy beginning in 1967. All RICO-related claims were settled in March 2003. He was later included on the Camden diocese’s accused list released in February 2019. Orsini died on July 6, 2010.

Peter J. Osinski

• Convicted

Arrested in 1997, Osinski pleaded guilty the following year to assault of a boy during the 1980s and received a ten-year sentence. The victim also filed a civil lawsuit naming Osinski, Bishop Rodimer, and the diocese, highlighting institutional oversight issues tied to his ministry.

Timothy E. Pisik

• Convicted

Pisik was convicted in 1991 for assault of a sixteen-year-old. His conduct later surfaced in both a 1994 RICO civil action and a separate lawsuit filed in 2005. The conviction marked a definitive end to his clerical career.

Jerome M. Prisco

• Sued

Prisco, ordained as a Franciscan and later affiliated with the Diocese of Camden, was named publicly in June 2021 in bankruptcy-related abuse claims. He died on December 13, 1985, with the allegations emerging decades after his death.

Walter T. Reilly

• Accused

Reilly served as a parish priest, high school teacher, and guidance director. Abuse allegations were raised concerning his conduct during these assignments. He was later identified as accused in diocesan records, reflecting concerns tied to his educational and pastoral roles.

Dennis J. Rigney

• Settled

Monsignor Rigney was accused of abusing two brothers over a lengthy period spanning 1963 to 1978. The diocese stated it found the allegations not credible, yet the claims were resolved through settlement rather than litigation.

Philip T. Rigney

• Settled

Also a monsignor, Rigney faced multiple lawsuits alleging abuse and was permanently suspended from ministry in 2002. Additional accusations asserted he enabled the continued presence of abusive clergy within the diocese, raising broader concerns about administrative conduct.

Glendon E. Robertson

• Accused

Robertson held numerous leadership roles as a monsignor, parish priest, high school principal, and diocesan administrator. He was publicly named as accused by the diocese in February 2019. Robertson died in 2004.

Francis L. Salamandra

• Accused

Salamandra was publicly identified as accused by the Diocese of Camden in its February 2019 disclosure. He was removed from ministry following the allegations, which related to his period of active service.

Robert J. Schmid

• Accused

Schmid was named on the diocese’s list of accused clergy released in February 2019. He had left the Diocese of Camden in 1978, years before the allegations became public.

James R. Ryan

• Sued

Ryan was accused of abusing a boy in the late 1980s. The claims further alleged intimidation of the victim’s family to prevent disclosure. The matter proceeded through civil litigation.

Augustus Scott

• Settled

At least one abuse-related claim involving Scott was resolved through settlement, as announced by counsel for victims. By 2012, Scott was no longer serving as an active priest.

Augustine J. Seidenburg

• Settled

Five women filed suit in 1994 alleging abuse during their childhoods. Seidenburg was permanently suspended from ministry that same year. The claims were addressed through civil settlement.

Donal J. Sheahan

• Accused

Originally from Ireland, Sheahan was ordained for the Diocese of Camden and served as a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was removed from ministry following abuse allegations and died in 2020.

Joseph E. Shannon

• Settled

Known as “Jay,” Shannon was accused of abusing altar boys and of participating in broader patterns of clerical misconduct. He was placed on sick leave in 1990. The diocese settled a civil lawsuit in 1993 for $50,000.

Robert J. Smaldore

• Sued

Smaldore was named publicly in June 2021 as part of bankruptcy-related abuse claims. He no longer appeared in the Official Catholic Directory after 1983, indicating an early departure from active ministry.

John E. Smith

• Accused

Smith was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Camden in its February 2019 list. He was removed from ministry following the allegations.

Walter Smith

• Accused

Walter Smith was also included on the diocese’s February 2019 accused list. He was deceased at the time of disclosure, with allegations relating to his earlier service.

Antoine St. Germain

• Accused

St. Germain was named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Camden in February 2019. He was deceased when the allegations were released.

Roger A. Sullivan

• Sued

Sullivan was identified publicly in June 2021 in connection with abuse claims filed during the diocese’s bankruptcy proceedings. The allegations were pursued through civil litigation.

William D. Titmas

• Settled

Titmas was accused in a 1994 RICO lawsuit, alongside two other priests, of abusing a youth between 1972 and 1977. He was permanently removed from ministry when the suit was filed. All RICO claims were settled in March 2003. Titmas died in 2004.

Brendan V. Sullivan

• Sued

Sullivan was permanently removed from active ministry in 2010 after allegations were substantiated. A lawsuit filed by a twenty-nine-year-old man alleged abuse occurring between 1996 and 2001.

Alfred J. Vasapolli

• Settled

A claim against Vasapolli was raised in 1994. The diocese stated there was insufficient evidence to deem the allegation credible, yet the matter was resolved through settlement.

Patrick J. Weaver

• Convicted

Weaver, a spiritual adviser to Bishop Guilfoyle, was accused of abusing multiple boys. He was permanently suspended and named in a RICO lawsuit. Criminal proceedings resulted in a conviction.

Leon S. Winowicz

• Sued

Winowicz, a monsignor, was named publicly in June 2021 as part of bankruptcy-related abuse claims. He died on September 24, 1978, with allegations surfacing long after his death.

Paul C. Wise

• Accused

Wise was listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Camden in 2022. He was removed from ministry. A diocesan notice indicated he retired in 2010, prior to the public disclosure of allegations.

Diocese of Metuchen NJ

Patrick H. Barrett

• Sued

A civil lawsuit filed in September 2020 alleged that Barrett sexually abused a child between ages nine and ten during 1983 and 1984 while assigned to St. Anthony of Padua parish in Woodbridge. The claim emerged years after his death in 2005 and proceeded through civil court due to the passage of time since the alleged conduct.

John M. Banko

• Convicted

Removed from ministry in 2000, Banko was convicted in 2002 of molesting an eleven-year-old boy and received a fifteen-year sentence. In 2008, clinical evaluations described him as a repetitive and compulsive sexual offender, leading to an additional eighteen-year sentence imposed through subsequent proceedings.

John J. Casey

• Accused

Casey was placed on leave in 2005 following allegations that he abused a minor in 1987. Criminal prosecution did not occur because the statute of limitations had expired. The allegation nonetheless resulted in his removal from active ministry within the diocese.

Michael J. Cashman

• Settled

Originally from Ireland, Cashman was placed on leave in 2002 after an allegation of abuse. Church proceedings found him guilty of one count of abuse occurring between 1980 and 1983. He was dismissed from the priesthood in 2014 following internal disciplinary processes.

Raymond L. Cole

• Cleared

Serving as pastor of St. Joseph’s in Hillsborough, Cole was removed from active ministry after an allegation of abuse of a minor dating to the late 1970s. A church tribunal composed of three priests from outside the diocese later found him not guilty under canon law.

Mark J. Dolak

• Settled

Dolak was accused by a woman of sexual abuse spanning 1979 to 1987 and separately accused of abusing a boy at an unspecified time. Following these allegations, he later worked as an acute care family support specialist at Monmouth Medical Center while civil claims were resolved.

Kevin P. Duggan

• Sued

Parishioners were informed by the bishop that Duggan had been accused of sexually abusing a developmentally challenged adult in the early 1990s while assigned to St. James Parish in Woodbridge. The diocese offered a settlement in July 2020 addressing the claim.

George A. Farrell

• Accused

Farrell was accused in 1997 of engaging in inappropriate online communication with a minor. No criminal charges were filed. The allegation nonetheless raised concerns regarding his conduct during the early period of internet-based communication.

Thomas P. Ganley

• Convicted

Between 1990 and 1994, Ganley abused a girl aged fourteen to seventeen while assigned to St. Cecilia’s parish in Woodbridge. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a minor under sixteen and was sentenced to four years in New Jersey state prison.

John C. Giordano

• Accused

Giordano retired early from St. Luke’s Church in North Plainfield in May 2007, citing the pressures of parish administration and allegations of sexual misconduct. His departure coincided with scrutiny related to those allegations rather than routine retirement.

John Huels

• Accused

Huels admitted to abusing a fifteen-year-old boy in New Jersey during the 1970s. Afterward, he spent several years in Africa and was later hired in 1997 by St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. He was removed from that position in 2002 following disclosure of his past conduct.

Anthony M. Kramarz

• Accused

Kramarz was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Metuchen in disclosures issued beginning in 2019, with multiple allegations later noted in 2022. He died in 1998, years before the allegations were formally made public.

Patrick J. Kuffner

• Charged

Suspended from ministry in February 2018, Kuffner was accused of sexually abusing three individuals as minors. He was criminally charged in November 2019 with sexual assault involving a minor between ages thirteen and sixteen and entered a plea of not guilty.

Gregory J. Littleton

• Accused

Littleton provided information to the Metuchen bishop in 1993 that implicated him in the sexual abuse of two minors. He was removed from ministry in 1997 and transferred to the Diocese of Charlotte, where officials were informed of his prior conduct.

Michael McGuire

• Sued

McGuire was publicly named in November 2021 by counsel for victims as accused in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The claim proceeded through civil litigation rather than criminal court.

Regis Moccia

• Sued

Moccia was accused of sexually abusing a boy aged thirteen to fourteen around 1994 and 1995, with additional allegations referencing abuse during 1981 and 1982. The claims were pursued through civil legal action.

Dann Rossi

• Accused

Rossi, a deacon, was named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Metuchen in its February 2019 disclosures. He was deceased at the time his name was released.

Eladio Sanchez

• Sued

A lawsuit filed in December 2019 alleged that Sanchez sexually abused a boy between ages eleven and fourteen from 1979 to 1982 while assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in New Brunswick. The allegations were addressed through civil proceedings.

Michael P. Santillo

• Convicted

Santillo left active priesthood in 1992 to care for his parents. He was charged with molesting a thirteen-year-old boy in 1987, convicted in 1999, and sentenced to ten years in prison. He died of cancer while incarcerated in 2000.

John B. Spalding

• Charged

Spalding taught at St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen and was charged in February 2016 with possessing and viewing illegal material involving minors on his computer. He was released on bail and directed to return to his residence in Rhode Island pending proceedings.

Tomasz Adam Zielinski

• Convicted

Zielinski was criminally charged after groping a teenage girl during a flight from Poland to the United States. He was convicted in federal court and sentenced to one year in prison for the offense.

Diocese of Paterson NJ

Jose Alonso

• Convicted

Alonso, who served as rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in New Mexico, was accused of sexually assaulting two teenage brothers. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison following criminal proceedings.

Francis Boccotti

• Accused

A Salesian brother, Boccotti worked at Don Bosco College and Mary Help of Christians Schools. Allegations of child sexual abuse later surfaced in connection with his assignments within the Paterson diocese.

Charles V. Bradley

• Accused

Bradley was accused of child sexual abuse in 1981. He was removed from his assignment in 1995 and did not return to priestly ministry thereafter.

Timothy J. Brennan

• Convicted

Brennan pleaded guilty in 1987 to aggravated sexual contact involving a fifteen-year-old boy. He received a one-year suspended sentence, was sent for treatment, and later settled civil claims. By November 2021, he was named in twenty-one lawsuits filed under the New Jersey Child Sexual Abuse Act.

Justin J. Capato

• Settled

Capato was named in a civil lawsuit filed in March 2012 by two men alleging abuse at Delbarton School between 1977 and 1979. He was also named in additional lawsuits filed in July 2020 under the New Jersey Child Sexual Abuse Act.

William N. Cramer

• Convicted

Cramer was accused of abusing two young brothers in 1984. He was placed on leave in 2002 and later hired a canon lawyer to challenge his suspension. His name appeared on the Boy Scouts “Perversion Files” list in connection with his past activities.

Absalom Coutinho

• Accused

Originally from India, Coutinho arrived in the United States in 1970 and was assigned to the Diocese of Paterson in 1984. He later went to Florida on loan in 1998 and was accused of abusing two females during his time in Paterson.

Francis X. Dennehy

• Settled

A man reported that Dennehy and another priest abused him during childhood. The diocese resolved the matter in 2005 through a $50,000 settlement and counseling support.

John Henry Dericks

• Settled

Dericks was accused by a woman who stated that he molested her as a teenager in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He paid a $25,000 settlement in the early 1990s and was barred from publicly functioning as a priest by January 2004.

Denis Patrick Duffy

• Sued

Duffy, also known as Manus Duffy, was accused of sexually abusing a Delbarton School student between ages thirteen and fourteen more than 150 times during 1977 and 1978. He left the priesthood and married in 1989.

Stanislaus Durka

• Accused

Durka was publicly named as accused by the diocese in disclosures released in February 2019. He died in June 1983.

Patrick Erwin

• Accused

Erwin was publicly identified as accused in February 2019, with multiple allegations noted. He was removed from ministry in November 2004 and died in December 2017.

Malachy Flavin

• Sued

Flavin was accused of abusing a teenage boy in 1981. He left active status in 1987 but did not voluntarily leave his religious order.

Donal Fox

• Sued

Fox was named in five lawsuits filed in 2015 against Delbarton School, St. Mary’s Abbey, and the Order of St. Benedict. The claims alleged sexual abuse of Delbarton students between 1972 and 1984.

Benoit Guichard

• Sued

Originally from Besançon, France, Guichard was accused in a lawsuit filed in November 2021 of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl aged twelve to fourteen between 2006 and 2008 at Our Lady of Fatima Chapel in Pequannock. Reports indicated he was working at a seminary in Denton, Nebraska at the time the suit was filed.

Carlos Guzman

• Convicted

Guzman, a deacon, was suspended in October 1981 following an allegation involving inappropriate contact with an eight-year-old boy. He was later convicted and served eight months of a nine-month sentence in 1993. Additional allegations surfaced in a 2004 civil lawsuit, with claims of abuse involving at least two boys during the 1970s and early 1980s. One accuser stated he reported the abuse to a priest in 1996 and was told the matter had been handled by transferring Guzman. He was publicly listed by the diocese in 2019.

James T. Hanley

• Settled

Hanley admitted to abusing approximately twelve boys between 1968 and 1982. He was removed from ministry in 1986 and settled with twenty-one accusers in 2005. One of the victims died by suicide in 2003.

John Heekin

• Accused

Heekin was publicly named as accused by the diocese in February 2019, with multiple allegations documented. He was removed from ministry in November 2011 and died in July 2018.

John E. Hewetson

• Accused

Ordained for the Archdiocese of Newark, Hewetson later became a priest of the Diocese of Paterson. He was included on the Paterson list of credibly accused clergy in June 2022, with multiple allegations noted. He died in 1987.

Frank Hofgartner

• Sued

Hofgartner was publicly named in November 2021 by victims’ counsel as accused in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill.

Jonathan Michael Hunt

• Sued

Hunt was accused of sexually abusing a student at Delbarton School. He died on April 29, 2020, prior to resolution of the civil claims.

Jose Lopez Durango

• Convicted

Lopez, a religious worker from Colombia, was accused of molesting a fourteen-year-old girl. He was found guilty of luring, child endangerment, and criminal sexual contact.

Richard Edward Lott

• Settled

Lott was accused of sexually abusing a student in 1977 and of supplying the boy with alcohol and marijuana. After the first report, a second student was allegedly abused not long after Lott disclosed the initial incident to the abbot.

William McCarthy

• Accused

McCarthy was accused of abusing girls between 1981 and 1983. He was cleared by a church trial and subsequently returned to active ministry with full privileges.

Thomas McGahee

• Sued

McGahee was publicly named in November 2021 by victims’ counsel as accused in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill.

Peter McBride

• Accused

McBride was publicly named as accused by the diocese in February 2019. He had been removed from ministry in October 1994, indicted in February 1995, and sentenced in 1997 to treatment and a monetary fine. He was later permitted to work as a weekend parish assistant.

William John Mockus

• Accused

Mockus was publicly identified as accused by the diocese in February 2019. He was removed from ministry in 1995 and died in July 2014.

Joseph W. Molloy

• Settled

Molloy and another priest were accused of abusing a youth during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The allegations were resolved through settlement.

Marcin Nurek

• Indicted

Originally from Poland, Nurek arrived in the U.S. in March 2015 and was ordained a deacon shortly before his arrest. In August 2017, before starting his first assignment, he was accused of groping a 13-year-old girl in Boonton after allegedly following a group of girls and making sexual remarks. He was arrested, placed on leave, and had his faculties revoked. His passport was surrendered, and he was released to the Bethlehem Hermitage for priests. Indicted in March 2018, he entered an 18-month pretrial intervention program, with charges eligible for dismissal upon completion.

Francis E. Nugent

• Settled

A woman informed the Salesians in 1994 that Nugent abused her and two of her brothers. The order settled with her in 1998 for $250,000 and later named Nugent in a lawsuit filed by four former junior seminary students.

Andrew T. Perretta

• Sued

Perretta was accused in allegations raised in 1996 asserting abuse occurring decades earlier, described as taking place in the late 1970s or early 1980s. After a review of his personnel file, the bishop placed him on leave in October 2004, a decision endorsed by the diocesan review board. A subsequent church trial found him not guilty, and he was returned to active ministry in August 2007.

John G. Pisarcik

• Convicted

Between 1989 and 1991, Pisarcik was accused of sexually abusing two boys under the age of 13 while serving in the Diocese of Paterson. He was arrested and prosecuted, leading to a conviction in 1992. The court sentenced him to five years in a residential treatment center rather than a traditional prison term. His removal from active ministry followed the criminal proceedings and conviction.

Walter Pruschowitz

• Accused

Originally from Czechoslovakia, Pruschowitz was ordained in 1961 and later taught at Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey. Allegations of sexual abuse surfaced decades later, and he was publicly identified as accused in 2004. The claims related to his time working with students during his teaching assignments within the Diocese of Paterson.

Thomas G. Rainforth

• Settled

Rainforth was accused by a man of sexual abuse said to have occurred in 1975. He was placed on leave, later returned to ministry, and subsequently faced additional accusations from another man. A separate accuser also alleged childhood abuse by Rainforth and Rev. James Hanley. Civil claims related to Rainforth were later resolved through settlement.

Jude S. Salus

• Sued

Salus was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy while assigned to Delbarton School. After his time at the school, he served as pastor at Mount Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls and later worked as a chaplain at Newton Medical Center. A civil lawsuit was filed alleging abuse during his earlier educational assignment.

James Scott

• Accused

Scott served as a parish priest and high school faculty member in Clifton, Sparta, and Wayne, New Jersey. An allegation of sexual abuse led to his removal from ministry in 1995. He was later publicly named by the Diocese of Paterson on its list of accused clergy released on February 13, 2019.

Donald J. Sella

• Settled

A Capuchin brother, Sella was accused of sexually abusing a child. Despite the allegation, an internal diocesan review concluded there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the claim, and he remained assigned to parish work as late as 2005. A related civil claim was later resolved through settlement.

James A.D. Smith

• Settled

Smith was placed on leave in 2002 following allegations that he sexually abused a boy between 1962 and 1965. Church authorities later found him guilty of abusing at least one minor. He was permanently removed from ministry but was not laicized. Civil claims connected to the allegations were settled.

Ralph H. Sodano

• Settled

In 2002, Sodano was placed on administrative leave after allegations emerged that he abused two individuals during the 1970s. Four accusations were reviewed in total, with two resolved through settlement and two not settled. His removal from active ministry followed the review of these claims.

Allen F. Stepien

• Accused

Stepien was placed on leave in 2002 after allegations of sexual contact involving minors were reported to the diocese. He remained out of ministry and formally retired in 2009. The allegations related to earlier periods of pastoral assignment within the Diocese of Paterson.

Luke Travers

• Settled

Travers served as headmaster of Delbarton School from 1999 to 2007 and taught there during other periods. Allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1980s later surfaced. He was removed from his subsequent position at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Virginia, and related claims were resolved through settlement.

John Joseph Sutton

• Accused

Sutton was publicly identified by the Diocese of Paterson on February 13, 2019, following an allegation of sexual abuse reported to have occurred in 1979. The claim related to his earlier priestly assignment. He was removed from ministry after the allegation was deemed credible by diocesan authorities.

Ronald J. Tully

• Settled

Ordained as an Augustinian, Tully taught in Washington, D.C., during the 1960s before leaving the order in 1970 and later serving as a Paterson diocesan priest. He was charged in New York in 1979, dismissed from ministry in 1980, and accused by at least nine victims abused between ages eight and sixteen. He was laicized in 2004 and died in 2018.

Bruno Ugliano

• Sued

A woman reported that Ugliano sexually abused her when she was 14, with allegations also involving two other priests. Ugliano was temporarily suspended during the investigation. Law enforcement later determined the claims against him were not credible, though a civil lawsuit was filed regarding the allegations.

Julian B. Varettoni

• Settled

Monsignor Varettoni was accused by Bob Deacon of sexually abusing him during childhood in the 1960s. The diocesan bishop investigated the claim and determined it was not substantiated. That decision was later upheld by the Vatican. A related civil matter was resolved through settlement.

John F. Wall

• Accused

Wall was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Paterson on its February 13, 2019 list. The allegation involved a single reported victim and related to his period of pastoral ministry. Wall died in 1983, decades before the public disclosure of the accusation.

Gregory G. White

• Accused

White was publicly identified as accused by the Diocese of Paterson on February 13, 2019. The allegation involved one reported victim and concerned his service as a priest within the diocese. White died on May 10, 2002, at the age of 32.

William L. Winston

• Guilty plea

Winston, an Episcopal priest who was married with children, pleaded guilty to charges involving domestic violence against his wife and sexual abuse of an 11-year-old boy. The criminal case resulted in a guilty plea and established his responsibility for the abuse described in court proceedings.

Diocese of Trenton NJ

Deogratias Aguilar

• Indicted

Public identification occurred in May 2021 when the Society of the Divine Word, Chicago Province named Aguilar as accused in connection with his clerical service associated with the Diocese of Trenton. The disclosure followed internal review processes conducted years after his death. Aguilar died in 2008, and no criminal proceedings were active at the time of his death, with the designation issued posthumously as part of broader institutional reporting.

Edward Balestrieri

• Accused

Removal from ministry took place in 2002 after a woman alleged that Balestrieri inappropriately touched her son. The action ended his active clerical service within the Diocese of Trenton. He remained out of ministry until his death in 2012. His name was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s Report, connecting his case to a wider examination of clergy misconduct records across diocesan jurisdictions.

Romannilo Apura

• Guilty plea

Arrested in late spring or early summer for molesting a 16-year-old boy, Apura entered a guilty plea to aggravated criminal sexual contact. He received a three-year prison sentence, was ordered to register as a sex offender, and placed on lifetime parole supervision. The criminal case concluded with incarceration and permanent legal restrictions following conviction-related sentencing outcomes.

Ronald R. Becker

• Settled

Multiple allegations emerged involving abuse of five altar boys during the 1970s and 1980s, leading to Becker’s removal from parish work in 1989 and later faculty removal in 2002. He pleaded not guilty in 2007. Two settlements occurred prior to 2009, followed by an additional settlement with a woman that year. Two further lawsuits were filed in 2020 alleging related misconduct.

George M. Brembos

• Sued

A monsignor within the Diocese of Trenton, Brembos was publicly named as accused in November 2021 by Attorney Jeff Anderson in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The civil action was initiated years after his death. Brembos died on June 15, 2011, and the disclosure occurred posthumously through survivor litigation processes.

Richard C. Brietske

• Accused

Public identification occurred on February 13, 2019, when the Diocese of Trenton listed Brietske as credibly accused. A monsignor and former diocesan chancellor, he held multiple senior administrative roles before retiring in 2012. At least one alleged victim was noted. Following the designation, he was removed from ministry, ending all formal clerical assignments within the diocese.

Gary Craanen

• Accused

After professing vows in 1971, Craanen served as vice-principal and disciplinarian at Divine Word Seminary High School in Bordentown, New Jersey. Allegations later surfaced that he solicited two teenage boys for sex during the 1970s. The accusations relate to his period of educational authority and disciplinary oversight within the seminary setting during that decade.

Gerard J. Brown

• Sued

A civil lawsuit alleged that Brown sexually abused a boy at age 15. He was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019. Brown died in 2013. Multiple criminal acts were alleged across filings, with public disclosure occurring years after his death through diocesan reporting and survivor-led legal actions.

Francis Bruno

• Sued

Bruno was removed from one seminary, later graduated from another, and subsequently faced allegations of sexually abusing a boy between ages 12 and 14 from 1978 to 1981. Following the accusations, he was laicized, formally ending his clerical status. The alleged abuse spanned several years and occurred during his early years of ministry formation.

Marcin Burek

• Arrested

Arrested in 2011, Burek was accused of attempting to lure at least four girls into his car by offering alcohol and ten dollars in exchange for sex. Following the arrest, he was removed from the parish setting and ceased attending seminary. The case involved law enforcement intervention based on solicitation-related conduct targeting minors.

Michael J. Burns

• Sued

Burns was publicly accused of sexually abusing a girl in 1975. Despite the allegation, he was allowed to continue in active ministry within the Diocese of Trenton. The accusation later became part of civil litigation, bringing renewed attention to the handling of misconduct claims during that period and his continued clerical service following disclosure.

Peter R. Cebulka

• Sued

Cebulka was named publicly as accused in November 2021 through a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The civil action placed his name among those identified in revived claims enabled by changes to state law. The allegations concerned misconduct occurring during his period of clerical service within the Diocese of Trenton.

Velanmarukudiyil Christudasl

• Acquitted

Originating from India, Rev. V.J. Christudas was arrested for criminal sexual contact involving an adult woman, her five-year-old daughter, and her thirteen-year-old son. He was acquitted of child molestation charges but sentenced to two years of probation related to adult criminal sexual contact. The case concluded with mixed judicial outcomes following trial proceedings.

Charles J. Comito

• Accused

Serving as a diocesan coordinator for Family Life Education Counsel, Comito was publicly named as accused of sexual abuse in 2007. Following the disclosure, he was removed from ministry. The allegations resulted in termination of his diocesan role and exclusion from further clerical or educational responsibilities within the Diocese of Trenton.

Glenn Michael Davidowich

• Accused

An allegation surfaced that Davidowich abused a boy during the late 1980s to early 1990s at St. Mary the Assumption in Trenton. Before any lawsuit was filed, the Eparchy paid two hundred thousand dollars to settle the claims. The financial resolution concluded the matter without formal court proceedings.

Benjamin R. Dino

• Accused

Public identification occurred on February 13, 2018, when the Diocese of Trenton listed Dino as accused. One alleged victim was noted in the disclosure. Dino was deceased at the time of publication, and the designation was issued as part of diocesan reporting efforts addressing historical allegations of clergy sexual abuse.

Leon Dicks

• Settled

Accusations alleged that Dicks sexually abused a girl between ages 11 and 14 from 1958 through 1961. The case was resolved through a settlement reached in 2020 for a low six-figure amount. The resolution followed decades after the alleged abuse and concluded the civil claim without trial.

Lawrence W. Donovan

• Settled

A monsignor, Donovan was accused of sexually abusing an altar boy in 1946. The allegation became the subject of a civil claim resolved in 2020 through a settlement in the low six figures. Public identification followed changes in state law allowing revival of historical abuse claims.

John J. Eagan

• Sued

Eagan was publicly named as accused in November 2021 by Attorney Jeff Anderson through a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The civil action was initiated decades after his death. Eagan died on December 7, 1981, and the disclosure occurred posthumously through survivor litigation.

Joseph J. Farrell

• Sued

Filed in April 2021, a lawsuit accused Farrell of sexually abusing a boy aged 13 or 14 during 1988 or 1989. The alleged abuse included rape and occurred while the boy was a student at St. Agnes in Atlantic Highlands. The claim proceeded under New Jersey’s revived statute of limitations.

Manuel R.M. Fernandez

• Accused

A monsignor, Fernandez was placed on leave in 2002 after allegations of inappropriate conduct with a young girl dating to 1982. Following the disclosure, he returned to Spain. Fernandez died in 2006. The accusation surfaced years after the alleged incident and ended his active involvement in diocesan ministry.

Jean-Level Eliscard

• Convicted

Ordained in Haiti in 1990, Eliscard later served in New Jersey before being arrested for sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. Following conviction, he returned to Haiti. The case involved criminal prosecution resulting in a formal conviction tied to abuse committed during his clerical assignment.

William F. Fitzgerald

• Sued

A monsignor, Fitzgerald was publicly named as accused in November 2021 by Attorney Jeff Anderson in a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The civil claim was initiated years after his death. Fitzgerald died in 2014, with allegations disclosed posthumously through survivor litigation.

Thomas I. Flynn

• Sued

Flynn was named publicly as accused in November 2021 by Attorney Jeff Anderson through a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. He died on May 25, 1980. The civil disclosure occurred decades later as part of revived claims addressing historical clergy sexual abuse.

Thomas J. Frain

• Accused

A monsignor, Frain served as pastor of St. Ann’s in Lawrenceville from 1967 until 1995, retiring that year. He died in 1997. On February 13, 2019, the Diocese of Trenton publicly named him as accused, noting multiple alleged victims connected to his lengthy pastoral tenure.

Michael M. Garry

• Settled

Originally from Ireland, Garry was ordained in Rome before World War II and served in the Sacramento Diocese and Newark Archdiocese prior to Trenton. He was accused of repeatedly molesting and stalking a woman for three years, beginning when she was 11. The allegations resulted in a civil settlement resolving the claims.

J. Gerard Griffin

• Settled

Griffin, also known as Gerald J. Griffin, was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019. He died in 1986. The disclosure occurred as part of diocesan efforts to identify clergy linked to historical abuse allegations, with the associated claims resolved through settlement.

Douglas U. Hermansen

• Settled

Hermansen was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019. He was removed from ministry and later settled a lawsuit in 2020 involving sexual abuse of a 15-year-old altar boy in 1975, prior to his ordination. The settlement concluded the civil action.

Donald E. Hickey

• Settled

An allegation arose that Hickey sexually abused a nine-year-old boy in 1975 at Nativity Church in Fair Haven. The claim was later resolved through a settlement. The case addressed misconduct occurring during his parish assignment and concluded without criminal prosecution through civil resolution.

Francis J.C. Janos

• Accused

Named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019, Janos was associated with multiple alleged victims. He died on November 29, 1982. The public designation occurred decades later as part of the diocese’s disclosure of clergy linked to abuse allegations.

Frank J. Iazetta

• Sued

Assigned to parishes in Nashville and Tullahoma, Iazetta was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Trenton. He resigned from the priesthood in 1993. Four lawsuits were filed alleging sexual abuse of children during the 1970s, with claims proceeding through civil litigation channels.

Vincent J. Inghilterra

• Settled

A settlement was announced in September 2013 on behalf of an individual alleging abuse during the 1970s when Inghilterra served as chaplain at Trenton State Teachers College. The Diocese of Trenton later agreed to a six-figure settlement in September 2016, concluding the civil claims related to the alleged misconduct.

Leo A. Kelty

• Accused

Placed on leave in 2002, Monsignor Kelty faced allegations of inappropriate touching involving conduct that allegedly occurred more than twenty years earlier. The action removed him from active ministry within the Diocese of Trenton. The allegations related to past pastoral activity and were addressed administratively rather than through criminal proceedings.

Jose Ignatius Kuruthukulaugara

• Charged

A visiting priest from India, Kuruthukulaugara was charged in 1988 with abusing a seven-year-old girl while serving in the Diocese of Trenton. Following the charge, he was permitted to return to India. His surname appeared with varying spellings in official records, including diocesan directories and contemporaneous news accounts.

Eugene Kwapisz

• Settled

Publicly named as accused in May 2021 by Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, Kwapisz was alleged to have sexually abused an altar boy between the ages of 13 and 16 while assigned to St. Casimir Parish in Riverside, New Jersey. The civil claim was resolved through settlement, concluding litigation related to the alleged misconduct.

Gerald F. Lyons

• Settled

Lyons was accused of sexually abusing a young girl between the ages of four and five during the years 1964 to 1965 while assigned to St. Anthony’s Parish in Trenton. He later went on a leave of absence in 1973. The allegations were addressed through civil resolution rather than criminal prosecution.

Patrick Francis Magee

• Settled

After attending seminary in Ireland, Magee served in the Diocese of Trenton before returning to Ireland on vacation, where allegations emerged that he abused a boy between 1965 and 1969. Criminal charges were dropped in 2004. He was later reinstated in the diocese, and the matter concluded through settlement.

Terence O. McAlinden

• Settled

Removed without ministerial privileges in 2007, McAlinden was identified after the diocese received information from a prosecutor’s office alleging years of sexual abuse of a juvenile beginning in 1985. A civil lawsuit was filed but later dismissed. Administrative removal followed disclosure of the claims.

Joseph F. McHugh

• Convicted

After concerns were raised by another priest in the early 1990s regarding his conduct with children, McHugh was accused of molesting a boy during 1995 and 1996. He pleaded guilty in 2005 and received a sentence of five years’ probation, concluding the criminal case through conviction.

William J. McKeone

• Settled

McKeone was publicly identified by the Diocese of Trenton as accused of sexually abusing an altar boy between ages 13 and 14 during 1975 and 1976. He was removed from ministry following the allegation. McKeone died on May 17, 2021. The civil claim was resolved through settlement.

Richard R. Milewski

• Sued

Allegations stated that Milewski sexually abused a 13-year-old boy and other boys during 1984 and 1985 while assigned to St. Veronica’s Church in Howell, New Jersey. He was removed from ministry in 2019. The claims proceeded through civil litigation under revived statutory provisions.

Liam A. Minogue

• Accused

A monsignor who died in 2007, Minogue was publicly named as credibly accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019. One victim was initially noted, with subsequent diocesan disclosures indicating multiple victims. The designation was issued posthumously as part of historical abuse reporting.

Sebastian L. Muccilli

• Accused

Muccilli was publicly identified as credibly accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019, with one alleged victim noted. He died on February 16, 2015, in Florida. The disclosure occurred after his death through diocesan publication of clergy linked to abuse allegations.

Henry A. Murphy

• Sued

Originally from Ireland, Murphy died in 1980 at age 53. He was publicly named as accused in November 2021 by Attorney Jeff Anderson through a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. The civil action was initiated decades after his death as part of revived survivor claims.

Kurt Munn

• Sued

A Franciscan brother transferred to New Jersey from Michigan in 1972, Munn was accused of sexually abusing a boy between 1972 and 1979 while assigned to Holy Assumption School in Roebling. Criminal prosecution was barred by statutes of limitation. The diocese confirmed multiple allegations in 1998 and 2007.

Mary Nazareen

• Sued

A civil lawsuit filed in January 2020 alleged that Nazareen sexually abused a girl during the 1960s at Holy Cross School in Rumson, from kindergarten through seventh grade. The school was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. The claim proceeded through civil court under revived limitations statutes.

Charles P. O’Donoghue

• Sued

A civil suit alleged that Charles O’Donoghue abused a seven-year-old girl and her eight-year-old brother between 1972 and 1974 at St. Catharine’s Parish in Spring Lake. The lawsuit was initially misfiled under the name John O’Donoghue but identified Charles as the accused priest.

Edward O’Neill

• Sued

A monsignor, O’Neill was publicly named as accused in November 2021 by Attorney Jeff Anderson through a lawsuit filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill. At the time of disclosure, he held the title of Pastor Emeritus of St. John Vianney Parish in Colonia, New Jersey.

Robert J. Parenti

• Accused

Parenti was placed on leave in 1998 following allegations of sexual misconduct involving a minor. No criminal charges were filed. He was subsequently removed from ministry, ending his clerical service within the Diocese of Trenton through administrative action related to the allegations.

Joseph J. Prioli

• Guilty plea

A deacon, Prioli was publicly named as accused of sexually assaulting a child over a period of years beginning in 2007. He entered a guilty plea, resolving the criminal matter through admission of guilt rather than trial. The case concluded with criminal accountability and permanent removal from ministry.

Joseph R. Punderson

• Accused

Public allegations surfaced that Monsignor Punderson sexually abused a minor more than two decades earlier. Despite the accusation, he was allowed to continue in his clerical role for years. He resigned in 2018 and was removed from all public ministry following disclosure of the allegation.

Matthew Riedlinger

• Accused

After concerns arose, Bishop John O’Connell directed Riedlinger to counseling and issued a formal reprimand. Riedlinger later exchanged more than 1,200 explicit messages with individuals he believed to be a 16-year-old boy during an internet sting operation. The conduct resulted in administrative action within the diocese.

Thomas A. Rittenhouse

• Sued

Rittenhouse was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019, with one alleged victim noted. He died on June 26, 2006. A lawsuit filed in January 2021 alleged sexual abuse of a child between 1981 and 1982 while assigned to Holy Cross Parish in Rumson.

John E. Sullivan

• Accused

Named publicly as accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019, Sullivan was associated with multiple alleged victims. He was deceased at the time of disclosure. The designation occurred through diocesan publication of clergy linked to substantiated abuse allegations from prior decades.

Florencio Peneda Tumang

• Indicted

Four families alleged that their daughters were sexually abused by Tumang between 1987 and 1992. He was indicted twice in 1992 but fled before trial. Tumang was believed to have left the United States, possibly returning to the Philippines, and did not face adjudication on the charges.

Gregory D. Vaughan

• Sued

Monsignor Vaughan was accused of sexually abusing an eight-year-old altar boy on multiple occasions in 1987. He was removed from ministry following the allegation. The case was reported to law enforcement and referred to the Vatican, initiating both civil and ecclesiastical review processes.

Henry Brendan Williams

• Acquitted

Williams was publicly named as accused by the Diocese of Trenton on February 13, 2019, and removed from ministry in September 2019. He was charged with sexually assaulting a girl under age 13 during 1997 to 1999. Laicized in June 2021, he was acquitted by a judge in July 2021.

Gabriel Zeis

• Indicted

Serving as director and chaplain of Princeton University’s Catholic campus ministry, Zeis resigned after being accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1975. He was later indicted in connection with the allegation. The resignation ended his academic and pastoral roles amid criminal proceedings.

About Clergy Sex Abuse Involving Minors

Clergy sexual abuse involves inappropriate or illegal sexual acts by religious leaders, such as catholic bishops or other diocesan and parish personnel, towards vulnerable individuals, often targeting young people, children, and high school students. Victims can be left with deep psychological scars and sometimes physical injuries, suffering in silence out of fear of the credibly accused clergy.

Other clergy members and diocesan and parish personnel need to be vigilant and recognize the signs of abuse in their church. They must report something to civil authorities or law enforcement immediately if they suspect clergy sex abuse. Taking quick action can help protect the victims of statewide sexual abuse and ensure that abusers are held accountable.

In New Jersey, including the involvement of the New Jersey attorney general, the legal process typically starts with a formal complaint, followed by an investigation. If the evidence supports the claim, the case may proceed to court, where the victim can seek criminal prosecution of the credibly accused abuser and civil compensation for damages.

Legal Support for Clergy Abuse Cases in New Jersey

At Injury Lawyer Team, we have extensive experience handling clergy sex abuse cases and guiding clients through the legal process with care and understanding. Our clergy sexual abuse attorneys recognize the sensitive nature of these cases, including addressing allegations against the Catholic church. We prioritize our clients’ privacy and safety.

We offer confidential consultations, can help you find access to therapeutic resources, and provide comprehensive legal support to help survivors achieve the justice they deserve against Catholic dioceses.

What Laws Govern Priest Abuse Lawsuits in New Jersey?

New Jersey has specific laws addressing clergy sexual assault and sexual offenses across the five dioceses, including an independent victim compensation program and comprehensive safe environment programs focusing on protecting victims across the New Jersey dioceses and ensuring justice.

Statute of Limitations

New Jersey allows victims of child sexual abuse by clergy, including historic abuse, to file civil lawsuits until they reach 55 years old or within seven years of realizing when the abuse occurred or caused them harm, whichever is later. Criminal charges can be pursued regardless of the victim’s age.

Mandatory Reporting Laws

New Jersey mandates that any person having reasonable cause to believe a child has been subjected to abuse must report it immediately to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency or law enforcement. Failing to report suspected abuse of a minor can lead to penalties for the mandated reporter.

However, information received by a clergy member during a confidential confession is protected by the clergy-penitent privilege. While ensuring that the public is informed of any allegations remains a priority, this is a loophole that helps members of the Catholic church confess to abuse of a minor without having to deal with county prosecutors or civil authorities.

Even if members of the Catholic dioceses are credibly accused of child sexual abuse within the Catholic church, the person hearing the confession must maintain confidentiality and cannot testify regarding anything they heard during the confession. It cannot be stated in court records, and the information cannot be disclosed to anyone else.

Victim Compensation Program

In New Jersey, survivors of sexual abuse and other violent crimes may apply for financial assistance through the Victims of Crime Compensation Office(VCCO), which is part of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. The VCCO helps cover a range of crime-related costs not fully covered by other sources, including medical bills, counseling, lost wages, and certain support services.

Eligibility criteria include reporting the crime to law enforcement (typically within three months) and filing a VCCO claim within two years (though “good cause” may allow some flexibility). The program does not require a conviction; survivors can receive compensation even if the offender is not prosecuted or is acquitted.

For sexual-crime cases specifically, the VCCO provides up to $25,000 in total compensation per claim. Counseling benefits are robust: direct victims may receive tens of thousands of dollars for mental health services, and family members can also be compensated for their related counseling needs.

Additionally, New Jersey has a Sex Crime Victim Treatment Fund (under N.J. Stat. 52:4B-43.2) managed by the VCCO. This revolving fund specifically supports counseling and treatment services for victims of specified sex crimes, and is coordinated with other victim-assistance services throughout the state.

Victims of clergy abuse and sexual offenses have the right to sue for monetary compensation to cover expenses such as medical bills, therapy costs, and other related damages.

Filing an Abuse Lawsuit Against Catholic Bishops in New Jersey

The process of filing a lawsuit for clergy sex assault can be lengthy. Injury Lawyer Team can help you through this process by providing the following services:

• Initial Consultation: We’ll discuss your situation with an attorney specializing in clergy sexual abuse cases and claims against the Catholic church to evaluate the strength of your case.
• Evidence Collection: Our team will collect any documentation, witness statements, and other evidence supporting your claims. This may include talking to other members of the Catholic church, reviewing court records regarding the credibly accused clergy, or using information regarding statewide sexual abuse against the five Roman Catholic dioceses to prove a pattern of behavior.
• Filing the Lawsuit: We’ll file a formal complaint with the appropriate court, outlining the allegations against the abuser. Our team will handle this. It doesn’t involve speaking with Catholic bishops or interviews.
• Discovery Phase: Both parties exchange information, including depositions, interrogatories, and document requests. This can include requesting additional information, such as court records regarding Catholic bishops or church employees, interviewing clergy sex abuse victims of the same Catholic church, and more.
• Pre-Trial Motions and Hearings: We’ll attend hearings to resolve any legal issues before trial, such as motions to dismiss or summary judgment.
• Settlement Negotiations: Many cases settle before trial; we’ll negotiate with the defense to reach a fair agreement.
• Trial: If no settlement is reached, the case proceeds to trial, where a judge or jury will decide the outcome.
• Post-Trial Support: We’ll provide ongoing support and assistance even after the trial ends.

If you or someone you know is a victim of clergy sexual abuse, contact Injury Lawyer Team to discuss your legal options and start the process of seeking justice.

Support Resources for Survivors in New Jersey

There are many support services available in New Jersey that focus on helping victims and providing them with a safe space to deal with their trauma.

• For immediate support: call 911
• 24-hour Statewide Hotline: 1-800-601-7200
• Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act (SASPA): This act provides survivors of sexual assault with legal protection and the ability to obtain restraining orders against their abusers, ensuring their safety and security.
• National Crime Victim Bar Association: This association provides legal assistance to crime victims, including those who have suffered clergy sex abuse. Victims can call (844) LAW-HELP for support.
• Victim Information and Notification Everyday: VINE is a nationwide service that offers victims access to information about offenders’ custody status.
• Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO): If a victim sustains personal injury or financial/property loss after reporting their case, they could be eligible for $25,000 compensation. For more information, call (877) 658-2221
• New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA): NJCASA is dedicated to ending sexual violence and supporting survivors through advocacy, education, and policy reform. They offer resources and support services.
• Catholic Charities of New Jersey: Provides counseling services, support groups, and crisis intervention for clergy abuse victims.
• State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General—Division of Criminal Justice: This agency helps victims navigate the legal process and offers victim compensation programs.

Notable Catholic Church Cases and Outcomes in New Jersey

Our attorneys have reviewed public and private settlement data related to New Jersey clergy abuse settlements. Depending on the circumstances of your case, these cases may be fairly valued in the $400,000 to $950,000 range. In cases of extreme conduct or if that case were to go before a jury, damages could exceed $1 million.

Five Roman Catholic Dioceses Released List of Clergy Members with a Credible Allegation of Abuse of a Minor

The five catholic dioceses in New Jersey, namely Newark Archdiocese, Camden Diocese, Paterson Diocese, Trenton Diocese, and Metuchen Diocese, compiled and released a list of accused clergy members in New Jersey, naming 193 priests and bishops for sexually abusing minors over several decades.

This list was made public by a catholic news agency as part of the Church’s efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and healing for abuse survivors.

The Diocese of Camden in New Jersey Had to File for Bankruptcy to Resolve 300 Civil Claims

The Diocese of Camden in New Jersey filed for bankruptcy and used the process to settle claims of clergy sexual misconduct. This bankruptcy filing was a strategic move by the catholic church to manage the numerous lawsuits filed by victims of clergy abuse.

As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, the Diocese agreed to a substantial settlement of $87.5 million to resolve over 300 civil claims of sexual abuse, as documented in court records.

Why Choose Injury Lawyer Team

If you or someone you know has been sexually abused by clergy, including cases involving catholic priests and historic abuse, you’ll need a sexual abuse law firm to help you through the legal process. Injury Lawyer Team is here to help survivors receive fair compensation and closure, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to supporting survivors of clergy abuse.

• Proven Track Record: Our lawyers have a history of successfully handling clergy sexual abuse cases. Our team has secured significant settlements and verdicts, demonstrating our ability to achieve justice for our clients.
• Compassionate Approach: Our firm offers a supportive and empathetic environment. We prioritize your well-being and handle each case with the sensitivity it deserves.
• Commitment to Justice: We are dedicated to holding offenders accountable and seeking justice for survivors. We tirelessly advocate for your rights, aiming to create safer communities and prevent future abuse.

If you’re a victim of clergy sexual abuse looking to file a civil lawsuit in New Jersey, reach out to us for a confidential consultation to get you started with the legal process.

Related Practice Areas

• New Jersey Clergy Abuse Lawyer
• Clifton Clergy Abuse Lawyer
• Elizabeth Clergy Abuse Lawyer
• Jersey City Clergy Abuse Lawyer
• Newark Clergy Abuse Lawyer
• Patterson Clergy Abuse Lawyer

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.