Fresno Anglican Priest Charged With Abuse Sued in Civil Court, Too
A Fresno Anglican priest who is facing criminal charges for sex crimes in California has been sued by two men who testified against him. We hope this lawsuit will encourage other victims to come forward and will also bring those who may have information or suspicions out of the woodwork.
Fr. Jesus Serna, also known as “Fr. Antonio,” has been charged with alleged serial sexual misconduct against adult parishioners who came to him for counseling and advice. First arrested in February of last year, Fr. Serna worked as an Anglican cleric from 2008 to 2017. The clergyman had previously worked as a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, from 1997 to 2006. Fr. Serna allegedly targeted undocumented Spanish speakers because, we fear, he knew that cohort would be less likely to report to the police. Given the charges brought against him and his unceremonious departure from the Catholic Church, it is not hard to imagine that Fr. Serna has victims elsewhere who may be similarly afraid to come forward.
We hope that the filing of this lawsuit will encourage other survivors of Fr. Serna, as well as those who may have knowledge about his behavior, to come forward and make a report to their local police and prosecutors. We also once again urge Anglican officials in Fresno and Catholic officials in Yakima to publish the information about Fr. Serna in their parish bulletins and websites and to conduct outreach to encourage victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers to come forward.
In addition, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is actively investigating cases of clergy abuse. We encourage anyone who may have been abused, and especially those who are undocumented, to come forward to and make a report to his independent hotline. Any reports will be taken seriously regardless of the immigration status of those making a report.
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP Board Member ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator, ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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)
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