TX --- Wichita Falls man arrested for alleged sexual abuse of a 14 year-old girl
For immediate release: Thursday, May 31
Statement by Barb Dorris, Managing Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003 [email protected])
A Wichita Falls man was arrested and charged with indecency with a child following a call to the Wichita Falls Police. We are grateful that law enforcement is investigating. But we fear there could be more victims who have not yet come forward. We want survivors to know it is safe to come forward and report to police. We encourage all victims to report to law enforcement, not church officials.
We hope, although it is unlikely, that this was an isolated incidence. If Russell William Detwiler is a predator, they rarely attack only once. Russell William Detwiler allegedly abused the girl at his home in 2010 and 2012. A check of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church website directory shows Detwiler listed as a deacon for the Parish.
Church officials should aggressively seek out any other people who may have been hurt. Bishop Michael Olson should personally go to each parish where Detwiler worked and beg victims, witnesses and whistle-blowers to speak up and call Wichita Falls law enforcement.
We hope that anyone who saw suspected or suffered abuse will contact law enforcement.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 15,000 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 - Melanie Jula Sakoda (925-708-6175, [email protected]), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected]
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