Shreveport Catholic Priest Jailed over Sex Crime Allegations, SNAP Calls for Outreach
A priest from the Diocese of Shreveport has been arrested and charged with child pornography and sexual abuse of an animal. We hope Catholic officials will use all resources at their disposal to share this news with each community where this cleric worked and urge anyone who may have seen or suspected crimes to come forward and make a report to police.
By our count, the arrest of Rev. Seby Shan Chemmampallil is the tenth arrest this year of a Catholic priest or staffer on charges related to sexual abuse. While Rev. Chemmampallil has not been accused of directly harming a minor, child pornography is nonetheless a serious crime that perpetuates the abuse of the child depicted in the images. We are grateful to the law enforcement officials who have intervened in this case and hope that this arrest helps stem the scourge and spread of child pornography.
We are encouraged that Rev. Chemmampallil was immediately suspended from his position when Catholic officials learned of the allegations against him. Now that this step has been taken, we hope that Church leaders in Shreveport will use every resource at their disposal to share the news about Rev. Chemmampallil and encourage others who may have been victimized or have suspicions to come forward to police.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
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
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