KY--Victims urge outreach in priest porn case
For immediate release: Saturday, Aug. 15
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected], [email protected])
Louisville Catholic officials and church members face a simple but crucial question: Do you help law enforcement, or not, in a child porn investigation against a priest. We hope they find the courage to do what’s right and aggressively seek out anyone who might have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by a just-suspended priest.
In a vague and disingenuously timed news release, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz is announcing that Father Stephen A. Pohl is being temporarily removed from St. Margaret Mary Parish in Louisville because an FBI Task Force investigation “is underway about inappropriate photos of children that have been taken and collected by Father Pohl to determine if he has possessed or distributed child pornography.”
In our experience, in cases like this, Catholic officials do the bare minimum. Rarely do they use church websites, parish bulletins and pulpit announcements to prod victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward. Rarely do they ask their flock to reach out to ex-parishioners who may have knowledge or suspicions of wrongdoing by Fr. Pohl. But those are the caring, responsible and moral steps they should take.
We urge anyone – Catholic or not – to call law enforcement if they have any information that might help prove or disprove these troubling allegations.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Lou. pastor on leave pending child porn investigation
Press Release 12:06 p.m. EDT August 15, 2015
LOUISVILLE, Ky (WHAS11) -- Parishioners at St. Margaret Mary Parish that attend the Saturday and Sunday Masses this weekend will be notified of an ongoing situation involving Father Stephen A. Pohl while those that do not attend will be informed via a letter from Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz.
According to a just released press release from the Archdiocese of Louisville, an FBI Task Force investigation is underway about inappropriate photos of children that have been taken and collected by Father Pohl to determine if he has possessed or distributed child pornography. At this time, the Archdiocese has . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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