Abusive Deacon in New Jersey Released from Prison
A deacon from New Jersey who was convicted and jailed in 2017 for sexually abusing a minor was released on May 5th , perhaps because of COVID-19. Now that this dangerous man is back on the streets we call on the Catholic officials who educated, trained, and ordained him to take extra steps to warn the community about him.
Deacon Joseph Prioli abused at least one child from the time she was 10 to 17 years old. During that time, he was also working as teacher at the Christian Brothers Academy and was a deacon at his local church, positions that would give him easy access to vulnerable children. Clearly, the courts believed that Deacon Prioli would continue to be a risk to children even after getting out of jail because his 2017 sentence prohibits him from living in a household with minor children for the rest of his life.
We are dismayed that this dangerous abuser has been released and hope that this move does not cause more pain or fear to those he has already hurt. But now that he has been released, parents must be extra vigilant and those church leaders who helped train and employ him should also help warn the community about him.
Officials at the Christian Brothers Academy in Middletown, NJ can help by sharing the information about Deacon Prioli with alumni and parents, warning the local community and urging any other victims or witnesses to come forward to police. The wider the information about his release is shared, the better protected New Jersey children will be.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)