Media Statements

(For Immediate Release July 7, 2023) 

(For Immediate Release July 7, 2023) 

A Pennsylvania grand jury investigating child sexual abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community has charged another five people with raping or molesting children as young as 4, the latest developments in an ongoing probe that has identified 14 suspects.

In the allegations that were made public on Friday, Attorney General Michelle Henry said that the men had groomed or obtained access to the kids using the church, sometimes by inviting them into the kid's family's house. One woman said that between the ages of 7 and 12, a church member who was 18 at the time of the assaults raped her at least 50 times. Related charges have appeared against other perpetrators.

We strongly suspect that the named defendants have other victims, some of whom the statute of limitations likely expired. Just think about how many victims could have been spared if the courtroom doors were open longer for criminal and civil claims.

(For Immediate Release July 6, 2023) 

Justice for victims of child sex abuse in Pennsylvania remains elusive. Budget agreements are being worked through in the state’s capital, but none mentions window legislation for survivors.  A constitutional amendment, as well as a stand-alone bill, remain in the senate chambers after both HB1 and HB2 passed overwhelmingly this spring in the State House of Representatives.

Sadly, it appears that victim-survivors will have to wait until the Senate returns in September to see if either of the bills makes it onto the voting calendar. As far as we can tell, the constitutional amendment will not make an administrative deadline for it to appear on the November ballot for voters.

We’re also disappointed in Governor Shapiro who made ‘justice for survivors’ part of his campaign platform and promised to ‘get this done.’ In our opinion, providing a pathway to justice for survivors of childhood sexual assault in Pennsylvania should have been a larger priority this budget season.

Survivors have long held the liability and it is time to shift the cost of abuse back to where it belongs: at the feet of the abuser and those who enabled them. Each day that the state senate fails to act, predators remain hidden, and children remain at risk. Survivors deserve the right to the legal process for discovery and justice.

Therefore, passing either HB1 or HB2 would be the single most effective action lawmakers could take to safeguard children and give time-barred victims their day in court.  Language in both of these measures would enable anyone who had been abused by a predator at any time to use the civil courts to alert the public and parents about those who molest children and try to hide their crimes. This is a fast, simple, and reasonable technique to identify harmful predators, stop cover-ups, and stop repeat offenders.

As legislators plan their summer break, we hope they remember victim-survivors who are hoping for justice and to expose the name, residence, workplace, and history of abusive men and women who are walking the streets of vacation destinations.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected], 925-708-6175) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)

                                                                                    ###

(For Immediate Release June 30, 2023)

A Roman Catholic priest who had been dismissed from his parish church in Santa Fe last year was arrested Thursday on federal charges of sexually assaulting a young boy in 2012.

Fr. Daniel M. Balizan, 61, ordained in 1989, a former pastor at Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Community in Santa Fe, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury for a reported case of child sexual abuse in August and September of 2012, according to the indictment. Court documents state that he allegedly used text messages to coerce and entice a minor victim, identified as John Doe in court documents, to engage in sexual activity with him. It is common knowledge that methods of grooming victims encompass a wide variety of tactics that include virtual communication apps, social media, and instant messaging, Balizan also used Facebook.

We stand with the brave victim who came forward regarding the alleged abuse he suffered as a young teenager. We hope this news encourages anyone who has suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted person to come forward to report it to authorities, it is never too late.

We are grateful to the New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s Office for investigating this case. This is the second in which the US Attorney's Office in New Mexico has indicted a priest or former priest on accusations of sexual abuse of a minor since 2017. A federal jury in Santa Fe found former St. Bernadette parish priest Arthur Perrault guilty on seven charges of aggravated abuse or assault on a 10-year-old boy dating back to the 1990s in April 2019.

Knoxville Bishop Stika, according to reports, is stepping down, after the diocese has been besieged by scandals, primarily of his own creating, for more than a year. We hope that this departure will result in genuine reform in this area, rather than just a people change.

For the past year plus, Stika has faced scandal after scandal, from his involvement in lawsuits, to his alleged victim intimidation, to priests with grave concerns of Stika’s leadership. We can’t help but wonder if there was anything sincere accomplished. The diocese is currently without an episcopal nominee. His bad performance as a church leader, in our opinion, caused or perpetuated an avalanche in the Diocese of Knoxville. Sitka has insulted parishioners' wisdom.

We hope that when the administrator for Knoxville is chosen, he will be a prelate who learns from Bishop Stika. That is, we hope that this new bishop will do the opposite of his predecessor at every chance, will be truly transparent rather than secretive, and will embrace the truth rather than try to stifle it. Knoxville parishioners deserve no less.

(For Immediate Release June 16, 2023) 

 New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams announced yesterday that his office is investigating Catholic priest Lawrence Hecker. We are grateful to DA Williams for his efforts and hope that they will result in a successful prosecution of Fr. Hecker. Children are always safer when their abusers are behind bars.

Fr. Hecker is on the list of those clergy in the Archdiocese of New Orleans who are alive, who have been accused of sexually abusing a child, and who have been removed from ministry on the basis of those "credible" accusations. The list, released in November of 2018, was the first time that the priest was publicly acknowledged by his supervisors as a perpetrator. He is also on the Diocese of Baton Rouge's list.

The Archdiocesan website claimed that the first accusation against Fr. Hecker was received by it in 1996, and went on to say that the cleric was accused of assaulting children in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Sadly, yet consistent with the Catholic bishops’ playbook for dealing with child sexual abuse, Fr. Hecker remained on the job until 2002. 

(For Immediate Release June 15, 2023) 

The priest and artist Father Marko Rupnik, accused of the physical and psychological abuse of numerous religious sisters, was dismissed from the Jesuits this month, according to the religious order. In a June 15 statement from the Society of Jesus, Rupnik was expelled due to his "stubborn refusal to observe the vow of obedience."

Rupnik had been asked to change communities and “accept a new mission,” the statement said. “Faced with Marko Rupnik’s repeated refusal to obey this mandate, we were unfortunately left with only one solution: dismissal from the Society of Jesus.”

To us, it is clear that Rupnik remains a defiant cleric in an attempt to preserve his reputation as a famed artist in the Catholic church and refuses to address serious allegations. The Jesuits announced in February that they had launched a new internal investigation into Rupnik after receiving allegations against him dating from 1985 to 2018. They claimed that the "highly credible" accusations included assertions of spiritual, psychological, and sexual assault, as well as abuse of conscience were the reason.

As we see it, expulsion from a community of priests does not stop an alleged abuser from potentially committing further harm to others. To blacklist Rupnik now does nothing in the form of justice for the nine religious women from the Loyola Community in Ljubljana, Slovenia who have stepped forward with courage to share their stories. Do nuns not deserve justice? How does the Vatican reconcile its decision to disregard the canonical process with its criminalization of adult abuse? Most importantly, why is more important to deal with Rupnik’s refusal ‘to obey’ now? In our view, that disobedience began long before the allegations were ever made public and we believe high-ranking church officials knew then what is general knowledge now.

We continue to applaud and support the brave women who have pressed on to hold Rupnik accountable and the Society of Jesus responsible for enabling him.  As always, anyone who may suspect, witnessed, or learn of abuse by Fr. Rupnik to immediately report their information authorities. 

CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, Communication Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]  Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

                                                             ###

(For Immediate Release June 13, 2023)

According to the Baltimore Banner,  a former Catholic nun from Philadelphia who died 31 years ago is the last accused whose name was redacted from the Maryland Attorney General’s report on child sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The Banner came to this conclusion by examining census records, obituaries, and documents from the sister's religious order.

Catherine Agnes Hasson joined the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia in 1943, lived at the group’s headquarters there for one year, and taught first grade at St. Katharine School in East Baltimore for one year, the order confirmed. She left religious life in 1945, shortly before she would have professed her vows. We believe that her name should be included on the accused lists for both the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as well as on a list for her religious order.

(For Immediate Release June 9, 2023) 

Fr. James Jackson, a Rhode Island priest previously assigned to St. Mary's Church in Providence, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Rhode Island to receiving child pornography, admitting to a federal judge that he downloaded files of child sexual abuse using a peer-to-peer file-sharing network, according to United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

According to information presented to the court, in September 2021, an East Providence Detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force identified an IP address assigned to the rectory at St. Mary’s Church that was being utilized to share files of child sexual abuse material.

A court-authorized search of a computer and digital device located in a church rectory bedroom utilized by Father Jackson was found to contain images and videos of child sexual abuse, including multiple images involving prepubescent females, some of which involved acts of bestiality and sadomasochism. A forensic audit of the devices subsequently identified over 12,000 images and 1,300 videos of child pornography.

Jackson was arrested again for allegedly violating the conditions of his release while in Kansas in July 2022.

To us, viewing or sharing child pornography is not a crime without any victims. Sadly, the innocent lives in film and pictures many never realize their trauma until much later in life. We hope Jackson faces a stiff sentence and is completely removed from the clerical state and under federal supervision for a long time.

Federal authorities need to keep this dangerous man under close watch and those charged with his supervision should never believe that Jackson has repented to sin no more. You can take the actor away from the scene of crimes, but as we have seen many times over in cases involving delict priests, they’ll never stop, there is no cure.

CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, (267-261-0578, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386, [email protected])

(For Immediate Release June 8, 2023) 

******UPDATED LETTER AND RESPONSE FOUND IN THE LINKS BELOW******

A recently deceased Archpriest in the Diocese of the South (DOS), Orthodox Church in America (OCA), apparently continued bear the title of “archpriest,” despite being a registered sex offender. We are absolutely shocked that Archpriest Benjamin Henderson, who was convicted of possessing child pornography, was never defrocked.

We have written to the late Fr. Henderson’s hierarch, Archbishop Alexander Golitzin, asking him to explain how such a travesty came about, despite evidence that the DOS was at least aware that the priest had been charged with this heinous crime. A copy of the letter is linked below.

Child pornography is NOT a victimless crime. The images of the very real boys and girls who appear in the photos and videos are traded and used indefinitely, leading to a lifetime of victimization. Moreover, studies have shown a strong correlation between those downloading these disturbing images and those who abuse children themselves. At least 50 percent of those who consume such material also admit to child sexual abuse.

Accordingly, we urge the DOS and the OCA to not only give a complete and transparent public account as to why Archpriest Henderson was never defrocked, but also to do outreach to every parish where the clergyman worked, begging anyone who may have experienced abuse by him to come forward and get help. Finally, we believe that the DOS and the OCA should also directly notify any other Orthodox jurisdictions or religious institutions where Archpriest Henderson previously worked of his conviction, so that those groups can do the same outreach.

CONTACT: Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175),  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, President, SNAP Board of Directors ([email protected], 814- 341-8386), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Copy of Letter to Archbishop Alexander Golitzin

RESPONSE FROM BISHOP GERASIM ELIEL

Dear Ms Sakoda,
I am sending to you a copy of my report to His Eminence, Archbishop Alexander, who has asked me to send a copy to you.
In Christ,
Bishop Gerasim

DOS Letter 230608A Henderson Deposition

(For Immediate Release June 8, 2023) 

According to a report from NBC Bay Area, an adult altar server at an Oakland Catholic church, who also worked as a theology teacher at Marin Catholic High School, is being investigated by the Oakland police. The educator, Jonathan Chavez, is accused of sending inappropriate electronic communications of a sexual nature to an underage altar server at the parish. According to the Diocese of Oakland, the crime was reported to them by the child's parents on April 19, 2023, and the Diocese reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) the same day. The Diocese also contacted Marin Catholic High School on the 19th, informing administrators there of the accusations.

We commend this family for taking the initiative to report Mr. Chavez. However, we are troubled that the Oakland Diocese did not immediately call law enforcement. CPS is not there to investigate crimes, and although this particular report ultimately found its way to the police, there was no reason to take this extra step. We are also troubled that the Diocese waited nearly a month before informing the parents of the other altar servers at the church, as well as its parishioners, of the accusations.