Childhood Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Published on Thursday, April 6, 2023 by Staff

Childhood Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

On April 5, 2023, the Maryland Attorney General released a redacted report entitled “Attorney General’s Report of Child Sex Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.” The 463 page Report identifies 156 clergy members who have been credibly determined to have committed acts of sexual abuse against children. The Report is the culmination of a Grand Jury investigation commenced in 2018 by the Maryland Attorney General’s office. Beyond detailing the history of child sexual abuse within the Archdiocese, the Report also details the efforts by the Catholic hierarchy to cover-up the abuse and protect the Archdiocese and the clergy members who committed horrific acts of abuse against children.

“As the case descriptions in this Report make clear, from the 1940s through 2002, over a hundred priests and other Archdiocese personnel engaged in horrific and repeated abuse of the most vulnerable children in their communities while Archdiocese leadership looked the other way. Time and again, members of the Church’s hierarchy resolutely refused to acknowledge allegations of child sexual abuse for as long as possible. When denial became impossible, Church leadership would remove abusers from the parish or school, sometimes with promises that they would have no further contact with children. Church documents reveal with disturbing clarity that the Archdiocese was more concerned with avoiding scandal and negative publicity than it was with protecting children.”1

Also described are the grooming, intimidation, threatening and spiritual damnation which often accompany childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by priests and other members of the clergy. Such acts by a “trusted” religious leader who purportedly is God’s representative on earth strikes at the core of a child’s essence. As the Report chronicles:

“Abusers often singled out children who were especially isolated or vulnerable because of shyness, lack of confidence, or problems at home, and they presented themselves as protectors and friends of the children and their families. Abusers preyed upon the children most devoted to the church: the altar servers and choir members, those who participated in church youth organizations and the Scout troops, and especially those who worked in the rectories answering telephones in the evening and on the weekends. They groomed the victims with presents and special attention. They told their victims the abuse was “God’s will” and that no one would doubt the word of a priest. Some threatened that the victim or victim’s family would go to hell if they told anyone. They attempted to normalize sexual behavior as “rough housing.” When confronted, they denied the behavior if plausible. If denial was impossible, they would minimize the extent of the abuse and describe it as weakness or aberration.”2

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Effective October 1, 2023, a new law will go into effect with a revised Statute of Limitations applicable to child sexual abuse. This follows the release of the report on clergy sex abuse in the State of Maryland by the Maryland AG. Once in effect, this new law will open up the Maryland Statute of Limitations for hundreds of child sex abuse victims whose claims were previously barred.

First and Foremost – Confidential Inquiry & Discussion

Perhaps as strong and enduring as any other effects on a survivor of abuse are the shame and guilt that can be overwhelming and debilitating, compounded by a resulting mistrust of others and avoidance of any acknowledgment or conversation concerning the abuse. We recognize how difficult and oftentimes frightening acknowledging the abuse and describing it can be. Be assured that any conversation about your situation with our firm is confidential. When we respond to an inquiry, we do so with the sensitivity, respect, and discretion necessary to provide meaningful feedback. If you prefer to speak with us directly regarding your incident, please call The Meneo Law Group at 1-866-371-8506 or send us a confidential email at confidentialinquiry@meneolawgroup.com.

Cases may be filed anonymously to protect the victim's identity.

The Priests Identified in the Attorney General’s Report

  1. Father Louis Affrica
  2. Father James Avant
  3. Father Bruce Ball
  4. Father John Banko
  5. Father Michael Barnes
  6. Father Thomas Bauernfeind
  7. Father Vincent Bechtel
  8. Father Ronald Belschner
  9. Father Thomas Bevan
  10. Father Maurice Blackwell
  11. Father Louis Bonacci
  12. Father John Bostwick
  13. Reverend H. Cornell Bradley
  14. Father William Braun
  15. Father Laurence Brett
  16. Father Frederick Brinkmann
  17. Stephen Brotzman
  18. Father Wayland Brown
  19. Father Gerard Bugge
  20. Father Robert Callahan
  21. Father John Carney
  22. Monsignor John Corbett
  23. Father Brian Cox
  24. Father Charles Coyle
  25. Father Fernando Cristancho
  26. Father Robert Cullen
  27. Father Joseph Davies
  28. Father Richard Deakin
  29. Father Alfred Dean
  30. Father Donald Dimitroff
  31. Brother Francis Dolan
  32. Father James Dowdy
  33. Father Robert Duerr
  34. Father John Duggan
    • The John Duggan identified as an abuser in this Report (a Jesuit priest) is not the same person as the late Archdiocese of Baltimore Chancellor John Duggan.
  35. Father Frederick Duke
  36. Father Walter Emala
  37. Father Francis Ernst
  38. Father Luigi Esposito
  39. Father Terence Evans
  40. Father Alfred Ewanowski
  41. Father Kenneth Farabaugh
  42. Father Alphonsus Figlewski
  43. Deacon Joseph Firlie
  44. Father Carl Fisher
  45. Sister Theonella Flood
  46. Father Daniel Free
  47. Father Joseph Gallagher
  48. Father Joseph Gerg
  49. Father Steven Girard
  50. Father Mark Haight
  51. Father John Hammer
  52. Father Edward Heilman
  53. Father Marion Helowicz
  54. Father Joseph Hill
  55. Monsignor Robert Hiltz
  56. Father George Hopkins
  57. Father Joseph Hopkins
  58. Father Robert Hopkins
  59. Father William Jameson
  60. Father Albert Julian
  61. Deacon John Justice
  62. Father Thomas F. Kelly
  63. Father Thomas M. Kelly
  64. Father Joseph Kenney
  65. Father Simon Kenny
  66. Father Paul Knapp
  67. Father Michael Kolodziej
  68. Father Joseph Krach
  69. Father William "Jay" Krouse
  70. Father Joseph Kruse
  71. Deacon Thomas Kuhl
  72. Brother Xavier Langan
  73. Father Michael LaMountain
  74. Father James Lannon
  75. Father Ross LaPorta
  76. Father Regis Larkin
  77. Father David Leary
  78. Father Francis LeFevre
  79. Father Robert Lentz
  80. Father John Lippold
  81. Father Robert John Lochner
  82. Father Anthony Lorento
  83. Father George Loskarn
  84. Father Edward Neil Magnus
  85. Father Ronald Mardaga
  86. Father Kenneth Martin
  87. Father Joseph Maskell
  88. Father Benedict Mawn
  89. Brother Constantine McCarthy
  90. Monsignor William McCrory
  91. Father Francis McGrath
  92. Father Eugene McGuire
  93. Patrick McIntyre
  94. Brother Lawrence Meegen
  95. Father Raymond Melville
  96. John Merzbacher
  97. Father Joseph Messer
  98. Father Ronald Michaud
  99. Father William Migliorini
  100. Father John Mike
  101. Father Jerome Moody
  102. Brother Eugene Morgan
  103. Brother William Morgan
  104. Father John Mountain
  105. Father Timothy Murphy
  106. Father J. Glenn Murray
  107. Father Alan Nagle
  108. Father Robert Newman
  109. Deacon Leo O'Hara
  110. Father Garrett Orr
  111. Father Henry O'Toole
  112. Father John Padian
  113. Father John Peacock
  114. Father Dennis Pecore
  115. Father Adrian Poletti
  116. Eric Price
  117. Father Blair Raum
  118. Brother Thomas Rochacewicz
  119. Father Francis Roscetti
  120. Father Charles Rouse
  121. Brother Marius John Shine
  122. Father William Simms
  123. Father David Smith
  124. Monsignor Richard Smith
  125. Father Thomas Smith
  126. Father Michael Spillane
  127. Father Albert Stallings
  128. Father Edmund Stroup
  129. Brother Cuthbert Sullivan
  130. Father Francis Sweeney
  131. Father Alcuin Tasch
  132. Brother Cuthbert/Joseph Thibault
  133. Brother Thomas Tomasunas
  134. Father Jerome Toohey
  135. Father James Toulas
  136. Father Gerald Tragesser
  137. Father Jorge Velez-Lopez
  138. Father Francis Wagner
  139. Father William Walsh
  140. Father William Wehrle
  141. Monsignor Thomas Whelan
  142. Father John Wielebski
  143. Monsignor Roger Wooden
  144. Father Howard Yeakle
  145. Sister Francis Yocum
  146. Monsignor Henry Zerhusen

Names 147-156 were redacted.

1Page 9 of the Attorney General’s Report of Child Sex Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

2At pages 1-2 of the Report.


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Confidential Inquiry

If you prefer to speak with us directly regarding your incident, please call The Meneo Law Group at 1-866-371-8506 or send us a confidential email.