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--A Massachusetts priest, Fr. James R. Porter, was successfully prosecuted after moving across state lines to Minnesota, using an obscure law that dated from the 1800s. (He was one of the nation's most prolific predators, with more than 100 victims, in Texas, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Minnesota.)

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news555/1993_08_15_Newsweek_Priests_and.htm

--A Missouri priest, Fr. Thomas Graham, was convicted because then-Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce found and took advantage of an old and obscure legislative error. State lawmakers re-codified the criminal code and mistakenly did not include a statute of limitations on "crimes against nature." The next year, legislators corrected their mistake. But for that one year, Joyce successfully argued, the omission meant that offenders could still be charged decades later. (The state Supreme Court later reversed Graham's conviction, but the victim, Lyn Woolfolk, nonetheless felt validated. And through media coverage, Catholics learned more about abuse in the St. Louis archdiocese.)

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2006/11_12/2006_11_08_Patrick_MoHigh.htm

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2016/03_04/2016_04_20_Joseph_Review_Notice_suspended.htm

2018 SNAP Conference in Chicago

The conference was a great success and we really appreciate your feedback. SNAP will strive to make next year’s conference even better using the information that you shared with us. 

This was the first year that we lived streamed the conference. We experienced some technical difficulties that we will work to correct before next year’s conference. 

SNAP Conference Committee

Watch the SNAP Conference Online!

By David Clohessy

It’s 23 degrees in St. Louis, the coldest day of winter so far. At times like this, my mind wanders to the hundreds of proven, admitted and credibly accused predator priests who’ve quietly been sent or moved to warmer clients.

Today, I think of two who are in San Diego and one who was arrested there:

--Fr. Denis Heames of Saginaw now works for San Diego lawyer Richard McEntyre (619-221-0279). He claims, on his Linked In page, that he moved to California for "family" reasons. But Fr. Heames makes no mention of the pending lawsuit against him which says he sexually exploited a 22 year old student who worked under him. Nor does he mention the findings by officials at Central Michigan University that he sexually harassed that brave young woman,

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2016/01_02/2016_02_15_Sydney_Life_Internal_sexually.htm

https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-heames-9a9736122

By David Clohessy

Most folks won’t wade through all 147 pages of the new grand jury report disclosing rampant child sex abuse and cover ups in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese. So here, in our view, is the shortest, clearest summary of the most alarming and recent wrongdoing it contains.

In short, the report shows that diocesan abuse deceit is continuing. Here’s how PennLive reported it:

By David Clohessy

It seemed like a one of those sports records that would never be broken. But given what’s just happened, Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul could surpass Fr. Norman Rogge in the annals of the clergy sex abuse crisis.

Rogge is the only priest, as best we can tell, who was put back into ministry twice, after two child sex abuse convictions.

Jeyapaul is half way to equaling this achievement. He’s just been convicted once. But last week, we learned that Vatican officials lifted Jeyapaul’s suspension and his bishop plans to reassign him soon.

This is no joke. This is really happening. In 2016. With the Vatican’s OK.

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/02/15/victims-group-protests-reinstatement-jeyapaul

By David Clohessy

2010: 

Indian Catholic Bishops Draft 'Zero Tolerance' Abuses Policy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/30/indian-catholic-bishops-d_n_559299.html

2016:

Indian bishop lifts convicted priest's suspension

http://www.ucanews.com/news/indian-bishop-lifts-convicted-priests-suspension/75204

By David Clohessy

On Sunday in Georgia, we leafletted a church about pedophile priests. (Thanks Barb!)

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ga_snap_church_staff_should_protect_kids_by_publicizing_new_legal_option

By David Clohessy

Ralph Cipriano, a blogger who once wrote for a Catholic publication, writes often about the case of Billy Doe of Philadelphia. His abusers have been criminally convicted.

Cipriano believes that experienced and unbiased professionals, including police, prosecutors, judges, jurors and civil attorneys, all got this case completely wrong and he, Cipriano, got it all right.  

Few people understand the abuse and cover up crisis better than Carolyn Disco. She is the survivor support chairman of New Hampshire Voice of the Faithful and a few years ago, was chosen as the “Catholic Layperson of the Year” award at the SNAP annual conference. She’s also one of the kindest, tireless and most fair-minded people I know.