WI--Fort Atkinson priest expected to enter plea on six counts of felony child sexual assault
Fort Atkinson priest expected to enter plea on six counts of felony child sexual assault
Initially denied by the diocese of Madison, Fr. William Nolan also had a 2009 prior report of misconduct
CONTACT: Peter Isely, SNAP founding member, 414.429.7259/[email protected]
WHO: Survivors of clergy sexual abuse will be in court Thursday as Fr. William Nolan, age 64, a priest of the diocese of Madison, is arraigned on six counts of felony sexual assault of a child where he is expected to enter a plea on the charges.
WHAT: Fr. William Nolan, was charged last month on six felony counts of sexually assaulting a child from ages 13-16 while a priest at St. Joseph Parish in Fort Atkinson from 2006 to 2014.
In 2007, at age 53, Nolan was listed as “retired priest in residence” by the diocese of Madison. The retirement age for a priest in the Madison diocese is age 70. Nolan continued to minister in various parishes in the diocese. Although the diocese has said there were no prior complaints of misconduct against Nolan a young adult allegedly went to the diocese after a 2009 incident.
In the current case under prosecution, the first alleged sexual assault occurred after the youngster was serving as an altar boy for a funeral at which Nolan was presiding. According to the prosecutor, Nolan had approximately 100 incidents of sexual contact with the victim over the next three year period. The assaults are reported to have taken place in Nolan’s office, home, the church sacristy and other locations in the community.
Nolan has worked in parishes in Madison, Waterford, Cambridge, and Janesville along with Fort Atkinson. Nolan’s last known residence was Our Lady Queen of Peace in Madison. The diocese has not released where he is currently residing.
In 2005, Nolan testified in court on behalf a fellow priest, Fr. Gerald Vosen, in a defamation suit against one of Vosen's victims. Vosen at the time had been removed from ministry for substantiated reports of child sex abuse that were outside the criminal statute of limitations. Nolan and Vosen were working and living together at a parish during the time of the assaults. The jury found in favor of the victim. Vosen has since been permanently removed from the priesthood by the Vatican.
WHEN: Thursday, July 12, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
WHERE: Jefferson County Courthouse, Branch 2, Room 229, 311 S. Center Ave, Jefferson, WI
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world's oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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