Alleged predator priest now works in KC

Catholic officials gave $3 million to his two victims

Accused man has never been “outed” here in MO before

Cleric is also apparently involved with Special Olympics locally

Victims want diocese to alert public and parishioners about him

There’s still a chance he may face criminal charges in Wisconsin

SNAP also wants bishop to put names of all predators on his website

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will disclose that a credibly-accused and now-ousted predator priest now apparently lives in the Kansas City area and works (or worked recently) for the US government census.

They will prod Catholic officials – here and elsewhere – to
---- disclose the pedophile’s exact whereabouts and warn their flock about him, and
---- aggressively reach out to anyone with information about him and his alleged crimes and urge them to call police.

The victims will also ask Kansas City’s bishop to permanently post on his website the names, whereabouts and status of all child molesting clerics, including this man

WHEN
Monday, July 19, 10:30 a.m.

WHERE
Outside the diocesan headquarters (chancery office), 300 East 36th, Kansas City, MO

WHO
Two-three members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a St. Louis man who is the organization’s long time executive director

VISUALS
The group will provide copies of the alleged predator’s detailed MySpace & LinkedIn sites.

WHY
Two weeks ago, the Duluth News Tribune reported that a former Wisconsin Catholic priest allegedly molested two boys. They later sued and were paid a $3 million dollar settlement by church officials. That accused predator now apparently lives in the KC area and works now (or has until recently) for the census, and has been involved in Special Olympics with mentally challenged youngsters.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/172605/group/News/

He is Thomas Ericksen and he’s been formally removed from the priesthood. A reporter recently asked Ericksen if he admitted the accusations. Ericksen initially replied “I have no comment.” He later denied the allegations but said “I thought that was all settled in the courts.

The two Wisconsin victims, Paul and James Eck, are just speaking publicly about the abuse now. They are also trying to pursue criminal charges against Ericksen.

According to the News Tribune, “Ericksen has posted detailed biographies of himself on the social and professional networking sites MySpace and LinkedIn, listing his e-mail address and MySpace handle as ‘saint_tom.’ He lists himself as a graduate of St. Francis Seminary and a “Holy Reverend Priest of God” from 1973 to 1983, the same year Paul Eck alleges he was molested. Ericksen writes that he moved to Minneapolis and worked at AT&T as a customer service specialist for 20 years before relocating to Kansas City, where he lists himself as working for the Census.” He attended college in WI and seminary in KY

(Copies of the biographies will be provided at the news conference, along with Ericksen’s photo.)

SNAP wants Kansas City’s Catholic church officials to use their websites and parish bulletins to alert their flock about Ericksen’s presence here and his crimes. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:d3YW6_fVikEJ:www.linkedin.com/in/tomericksen+St.+Francis+Seminary+and+a+%E2%80%9CHoly+Reverend+Priest+of+God%E2%80%9D&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

2) SNAP is also asking Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn to do what 24 other bishops have done, and post on his website, for the sake of public safety, the names, whereabouts and priestly status of child molesting clerics who are or have been in the area. Over the past eight years, some two dozen US Catholic prelates have taken this step, which SNAP considers a simple, inexpensive, common sense way to safeguard kids.

According to a Boston-based independent research group called BishopAccoutnabilty.org, there are 14 publicly accused Kansas City MO diocesan child molesting clerics. SNAP notes that the actual number of area pedophile priests is likely much higher because BishopAccountability.org lists only those clerics against whom allegations have been lodge in the public domain – in civil lawsuits, criminal prosecution or news accounts.

In 2002, Baltimore became the first US diocese to disclose names. A good current example is the Philadelphia archdiocese: http://archphila.org/protection/Updates/update_main.htm. Here is a list of all the dioceses that have disclosed names: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/lists.htm

CONTACT - David Clohessy 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com, Adam Walker 417.496.8833, awalker@kendallkreative.com