Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Robert O. Barnett

This page outlines the known parish assignments, reported allegations of child sexual abuse, and documented institutional actions involving Fr. Robert O. Barnett, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Robert O. Barnett
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Robert Barnett, Fr. Robert Barnett, Robert Barnett
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Parish Priest
• Current Status: Deceased; posthumously listed as removed from ministry

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Robert O. Barnett has been publicly identified as an accused Catholic priest by Church authorities and a government investigative body. His name appears in official disclosures acknowledging allegations of child sexual abuse connected to his ministry in Illinois.

He was listed by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria among clergy categorized as removed from ministry due to allegations of sexual abuse of a minor or determinations of substantial evidence of abuse involving a minor. Fr. Barnett is also named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse, which compiled allegations and diocesan records statewide following a multiyear investigation.

Based on these public disclosures, Church authorities determined that the allegation involving Fr. Barnett met the Church’s standard for credibility following an internal review conducted years after the alleged misconduct. There is no public record of any criminal charges or convictions against Fr. Barnett. His inclusion on diocesan and state lists reflects the findings of Church and governmental reviews, not a criminal court determination.

Entity that Listed Him: Catholic Diocese of Peoria; Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 report)

Reason for Listing: Credible allegation of child sexual abuse involving a minor, identified through diocesan review and documented in a statewide investigative report

Key Status Facts

• Birth Year: 1906
• Ordination Year: 1933
• Years in Active Ministry: Approximately 1933–1976
• Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Peoria (Illinois), including Peoria, Moline, Lincoln, Delavan, East Moline, Ottawa, and Rock Island
• Reported Survivors: Six individuals, as noted in statewide investigative records
• Restrictions: No publicly documented restrictions or monitoring during Fr. Barnett’s lifetime
• Removal / Resignation / Reassignment: Posthumously categorized by the Diocese of Peoria as removed from ministry following internal review of allegations
• Laicization: No public record indicating laicization
• Died: March 19, 1991
• Public Disclosure: Publicly listed by the Diocese of Peoria in 2019 and later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Peoria

Parish and Institutional Assignments (as documented in public records):

• St. Patrick’s Parish in Peoria, Illinois (1933)
• St. Mary’s Parish in Moline, Illinois (1935–1941)
• St. Patrick’s Parish in Lincoln, Illinois (1941–1946)
• St. Mary’s Parish in Delavan, Illinois (1946–1951)
• St. Mary’s Parish in East Moline, Illinois (1951–1957)
• St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Ottawa, Illinois (1966)
• St. Joseph’s Parish in Rock Island, Illinois (approximately 1965–1976)

These assignments reflect Fr. Barnett’s long-term service across multiple communities within the Diocese of Peoria and establish the institutional settings relevant to the allegations later reported.

Non-Church Assignments: Huber Memorial Home in Rock Island, Illinois (1976)

Known Allegations

Fr. Robert O. Barnett has been accused of sexually abusing minors during his time in ministry within the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. According to diocesan disclosures and the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide review, the alleged abuse occurred in Illinois within the context of his parish and institutional assignments.

Public records indicate that the reported misconduct occurred between 1964 and 1966. The alleged abuse was reported to have happened in LaSalle County, Illinois, and Rock Island County, Illinois, during the years when Fr. Barnett was actively serving in ministry.

The Diocese of Peoria has acknowledged the allegations and included Fr. Barnett on its list of clergy removed from ministry following internal review. Church authorities characterized the allegation as credible under diocesan standards. State investigative records note six reported survivors associated with the allegations.

There is no indication in public records that the allegations resulted in criminal charges or prosecution, and no criminal conviction has been reported.

Summary: Fr. Robert O. Barnett was accused of sexually abusing minors in Illinois during his service as a parish priest; the allegations were deemed credible by Church authorities and later documented in a statewide investigative report.

Overseeing Authority During Key Periods: The bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria who held ecclesiastical oversight and administrative responsibility during Fr. Barnett’s years of active ministry

Associated Organizations: Catholic Diocese of Peoria parish communities; Huber Memorial Home

Legal / Advocacy Bodies Referenced: Illinois Attorney General’s Office (statewide clergy abuse investigation)

Institutional Actions and Review

Publicly available diocesan disclosures and the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report indicate that allegations concerning Fr. Robert O. Barnett were reviewed internally by Church authorities many years after the alleged misconduct occurred.

According to statewide investigative records, the Diocese of Peoria reports that it first received notice of allegations involving Fr. Barnett in 1964. Public records do not indicate that restrictions, monitoring, or removal from ministry occurred at that time, and Fr. Barnett continued to serve in parish and institutional roles for several years thereafter.

Because Fr. Barnett died in 1991, no contemporaneous disciplinary measures during his lifetime are documented in public sources. Available records do not indicate whether information about the allegation was shared during parish transfers or whether earlier concerns were formally recorded in his personnel file at the time of those assignments.

Public disclosure of the allegation occurred years after Fr. Barnett’s death, when the Diocese of Peoria published its list of clergy removed from ministry and when the Illinois Attorney General later included him on the list of accused clergy in Illinois as part of a statewide investigative review.

Timeline

1906 — Born

1933 — Ordained as a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria

1933–1957 — Served in parish assignments across Peoria, Moline, Lincoln, Delavan, and East Moline, Illinois

1964 — Diocese of Peoria reports first receiving notice of alleged abuse

1964–1966 — Alleged sexual abuse of minors reportedly occurred in LaSalle County and Rock Island County, Illinois

1965–1976 — Assigned to parish and institutional roles in Ottawa and Rock Island, Illinois

1976 — Served at Huber Memorial Home in Rock Island, Illinois

March 19, 1991 — Fr. Robert O. Barnett died

2019 — Publicly listed by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria following internal review of allegations

2023 — Named in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide clergy abuse report

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Robert O. Barnett or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse throughout the state and understands the sensitive nature of these cases.

You can contact our team to request a confidential consultation with an experienced Illinois clergy abuse lawyer to learn more about your rights and potential legal remedies.

Sources and Public Records

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, legal filings, and survivor reports, including the following:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse, which lists Fr. Robert O. Barnett as an accused priest of the Diocese of Peoria and documents reported allegations, survivor counts, abuse locations, and diocesan disclosures.
• The Catholic Diocese of Peoria’s official list of clergy removed from ministry, where Fr. Robert O. Barnett is publicly identified under the diocese’s categorization for clergy removed due to allegations of abuse of a minor.
• The BishopAccountability.org profile for Robert O. Barnett which compiles assignment history and public disclosure information drawn from diocesan records and investigative reporting.

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records or official Church reports.

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.