SNAP says Cleveland Catholic Bishop Has Work to Do in Wake of Child Pornography Case
We applaud law enforcement in Cleveland for their thorough investigation of Fr. Robert McWilliams. The Catholic clergyman was originally arrested for possessing child pornography. Now, according to media reports, there is also evidence of “child prostitution” and "“hands on physical abuse.”
Studies have shown that over half of those serving time for child pornography eventually admit to having "sexual contact with children" that was previously unknown to legal authorities. However, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops did not add child pornography to its list of sex crimes until 2011. No one knows how many priests are still in ministry and a potential threat to innocent children because of that decision, but we fear there are many.
Since child pornography is a marker for other types of abuse, we believe each bishop in the United States should be reviewing his files and removing clerics who have such complaints against them. This is especially crucial because those images have an infinite lifespan and priests who consume them are encouraging the production of more, and real boys and girls are hurt in that process.
We call on Cleveland bishop Nelson J. Perez to cooperate fully with the police on this case, and also to redouble his efforts to review his files and determine if other cases of child pornography have not been reported to law enforcement and if any involve clerics still in ministry. He should also visit all the places where Fr. McWilliams was assigned while working in his diocese and beg any victims, witnesses, and whistle-blowers to make a report to the police investigators.
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 (zhiner@[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