Several priests in prison for child sex abuse still being paid by Louisville Catholic church
By Gil Corsey
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- They stand convicted of committing terrible sins, but pedophile priests are still being paid by the Catholic church in Louisville.
"I think it's absurd," Michael Norris said. "I just don't understand it."
Norris is one of Fr. Joseph Hemmerle's victims, molested at age 11 at camp Tall Trees in Meade County in the 1970's.
"This man is who I once thought is an extension of God," Norris said. "That's what the Catholic church taught me. And here's God doing this to me. It really messes with your spirituality."
Denied shock probation this month, Hemmerle's black-and-white prison jumpsuit appeared in stark contrast to the same colors he once wore robed in the Catholic church.
"All these practicing Catholics should be outraged that, here is this guy twice convicted, sitting in jail for what he did, and he's still a priest," Norris said.
The Archdiocese of Louisville said Hemmerle is suspended as a priest, and it hasn't taken further action as one of his convictions is under appeal.
Only the Pope can remove the status of a priest, but the process starts with the Archdiocese. Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz declined WDRB News' request for an on-camera interview on the subject.
Far more often than removing a priest for molestation, the Catholic church orders him to a lifetime of "prayer and penance." That's the case for Rev. James Schook, convicted in Louisville in 2014.
"Priests who are directed to lead a life of prayer and penance may not exercise ministry, say mass publicly, or administer the sacraments," said Archdiocese of Louisville Spokeswoman Cecilia Price. "They may not wear clerical garb or present themselves as a priests."
But they can sill collect a check from the church.
"Priests on prayer and penance receive medical insurance and a reduced salary if not retired or reduced retirement benefits," Price said.
It's faith-shaking to some parishioners.
"It's wrong," said Carolina Soto, a Catholic who attended mass Wednesday at Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville.
"It's more than disappointing," said Matt Harris, another parishioner. "It's just sad."
For Norris, it's maddening.
"When you are dealing with the Catholic church and all these sexual abuse cases, their first priority is to protect the church and protect the priest," Norris said. "They could care less about the victim."
The Archdiocese of Louisville settled a nearly $26 million class action lawsuit in 2003, paying 243 child sex abuse victims. At least three of those accused priests were also given penance and prayer -- and paid -- until they died: Fr. Robert Dollinger, Fr. James Hargadon and Rev. Edwin Scherzer.
Scherzer was convicted in 2005 and just passed away in August of 2017. His online obituary listed him as an ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Walker Co. man arrested for raping 5-year-old,
producing child porn
WALKER COUNTY, AL (WBRC) -
A Jasper man is facing charges he allegedly raped a 5-year old girl and produced child pornography.
Court records released Wednesday show investigators are charging Bruce Michael O'Neal with rape, sexual abuse and producing child pornography.
The criminal complaint says the rape happened at his home on Highway 69 in Walker County on Sunday. O'Neal is in jail tonight with no bond and no court date set yet.
Man gets 30 years in prison for sharing images
of girl's sex abuse
By Emily Monacelli
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A Battle Creek man was sent to prison Monday for creating a series of child pornography he shared on the internet.
Matthew John Andaluz, 44, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, according to a press release from Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Byerly Birge.
Andaluz, originally from New York, moved to Battle Creek after befriending a woman he met on line. He sexually abused one of her children over the course of years.
Images of the girl's abuse have turned up in at least a dozen state and federal investigations of child pornography.
The victim's mother earlier this year committed suicide, court records showed.
Andaluz pleaded guilty in June. He sexually abused the girl over a three-year period, created pictures of the abuse and distributed it to others. At his sentencing, the victim said she felt she lost everything, including her childhood, her loved ones and her home. She said she feared she might never graduate from high school or ever be happy.
The U.S. Attorney's Office asked for the 30 year sentence. (10th story on link)
"Children are amongst the most vulnerable of victims, and [the victim in this case] was particularly vulnerable to the defendant ... The child will bear the emotional and psychological scars from the defendant's abuse and exploitation her entire life," the Acting U.S. Attorney said in a sentencing memorandum. "A 30-year sentence is needed to reflect the gravity and seriousness of the defendant's crimes, to promote respect for the law, and to justly punish the defendant."
Elburn man accused of soliciting sex from child
Staff report
Beacon-News
The Kane Country State's Attorney's Office, after an investigation by the Kane County Sheriff's Office, charged 49-year-old Richard L. Herra, 400 block of East Reader Street, with indecent solicitation of a child, a Class 3 felony; attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 3 felony; and indecent solicitation of a child through the internet, a Class 4 felony.
Herra was taken into custody Sept. 25 by Kane County Sheriff's detectives, according to a press release from the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.
Herra appeared Wednesday in Kane County bond court. The bond court judge, over the objection of the Kane County State's Attorney's Office, released Herra on a signature bond and set his next court appearance for 9 a.m., Oct. 12, at the Kane County Judicial Center, according to the release.
As a condition of bond, Herra is prohibited from having contact with the victim and prohibited from having contact with anyone younger than 17 other than his immediate family members.
If convicted of the most serious offense, Herra faces a sentence of probation or between two and five years in prison.
In addition to the prison term, Herra would have to register as a sexual offender for 10 years in accordance with the Illinois Sexual Offender Registration Act if convicted.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the case should call Kane County Sheriff's investigators at 630-444-1103, according to the release.
Steuben County man arrested on
child sex abuse charge
By Nick Quattrini, Asst. News Director/Anchor
PRATTSBURG, N.Y. (WENY) -- A 19-year-old Stueben County man was arrested on sex abuse and child endangerment charges.
According to the New York State Police, Zachary Zigenfus of Corning, was arrested Tuesday. He was charged with one count of felony sex abuse. He allegedly had sexual contact with a child under the age of 11.
Zigenfus was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of acting in a manner which injured a child under the age of 17.
The incident allegedly occurred in Prattsburg back on September 20th.
Zigenfus was sent to the Steuben County Jail on $2,000 bail. He has since been released.
‘Truly a breach of trust:’ Judge won’t lower bail in Lakewood High sex abuse case
By JEREMIAH DOBRUCK Press-Telegram
A judge on Wednesday refused to lower bail for a former Lakewood High School teacher accused of sexually abusing one of her female students over the span of three years years.
If the allegations are indeed true, “This is really a — truly a — breach of trust,” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Tomson Ong said during a short hearing at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach.
“Children are impressionable, and teachers have all the power,” Ong said.
The decision means 52-year-old Mary Jahn remains jailed in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Jahn, a former English teacher, is accused of starting a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl who attended Lakewood High School in July 2008. That sexual abuse continued until 2011, according to Deputy District Attorney Troy Davis.
Although the sexual relationship ended, the student kept in touch with Jahn after that until she recently reported what happened to police, Davis said.
Jahn is charged with nine felonies: four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, three counts of lewd acts upon a child and two counts of oral copulation of a person under 18.
Jahn has staunchly denied the charges and pleaded not guilty Wednesday. “She didn’t do it,” her defense attorney Leonard B. Levine said.
Jahn hasn’t been able to make her bail, and on Wednesday, Levine asked Ong to make it something more affordable, such as $150,000 or $200,000.
Jahn is not a flight risk and poses no threat to her community, according to Levine.
“She has absolutely no prior criminal record,” he said, offering that Jahn could be put on house arrest with a GPS tracker if the judge had any fear she’d flee.
Ong replied that he was the one who approved the warrant for Jahn’s arrest earlier this month, so he was familiar with the details of the case. “At the time, the victim was a child,” Ong said, denying Levine’s motion.
Levine said this is the only time in Jahn’s decades-long teaching career that someone has alleged misconduct like this against her. During the hearing, he gave Ong more than a dozen letters written by former students, friends and co-workers vouching for Jahn’s character.
“This is a woman who entered my life at a time in which I was struggling without a relationship to my biological family and dealing with my own personal issues with addiction,” wrote one former student who said he’s known Jahn for 23 years. “She introduced me to the 12-step program when I was 18 years old and has been a continual source of strength and support to me.”
Many of the letters described Jahn as a compassionate teacher who cared deeply about her students. “Ms. Jahn saw you for the person you are on the inside,” another former student wrote. “She impacted many students, talked them out of drugs, suicide and many stupid teenage decisions.”
Jahn taught at Lakewood High School from 2006 to May this year when she was put on leave, according to the Long Beach Unified School District.
Earlier this year, authorities began investigating Jahn after the alleged victim in this case made the sexual abuse accusations against her.
Jahn faces up to eight years and four months in state prison if she’s convicted as charged. She would also be forced to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.
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