Former Dallas-area priest arrested on charge he sexually assaulted child
A former Dallas-area priest who has been accused of molesting children in the 1980s was arrested in Missouri on Wednesday night.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Richard Thomas Brown, who is in his late 70s, was wanted on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Dallas police issued the arrest warrant Tuesday, and Brown was booked into a Missouri jail about 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
Brown was taken into custody in Dittmer, about 30 miles southwest of St. Louis, on property owned by the Servants of the Paraclete. The group operates a center at the site whose mission is to “provide a safe and supportive environment for the rehabilitation and reconciliation of priests and religious brothers.”
Missouri’s sex-offender registry shows that six convicted sex offenders live at the facility.
WFAA-TV (Channel 8) first reported on the warrant for Brown, who was among 31 priests on the “credibly accused” list the Dallas Catholic Diocese released in January 2019.
Brown and four other priests were at the center of a Dallas police investigation into abuse allegations in the Dallas diocese, according to an affidavit police used to obtain a search warrant to raid diocese offices in May.
Two diocese officials wrote in a letter to Detective David Clark in September that they hoped police were working to find and arrest Brown. They said Brown’s attorney had informed them he was with relatives in Delaware.
“News that a warrant for his arrest has been issued fulfills the hope of the diocese that justice will be served,” the diocese said in a written statement Wednesday.
The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, said in a statement that it hoped church officials would do all that they could to help law enforcement find Brown.
“This case is yet another example that belies the claims of church officials that the sexual abuse crisis is in the past,” the statement from SNAP said. “Sadly, children continue to be put at risk in parishes across the country because church officials themselves refuse to be open and transparent with parishioners, the public and law enforcement about allegations of clergy sexual ab...
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