Priest Abuse in Baltimore

In April 2023, Maryland legislators passed the Child Victims Act of 2023, which eliminated the statute of limitations for sex abuse cases in Maryland. Prior to the passage of this law, survivors of child sex abuse only had until their 38th birthday to file a claim.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse can now file a civil lawsuit at any time, regardless of their age or when the abuse occurred.

The changes included in the Child Victims Act of 2023 allow childhood sexual abuse survivors to seek justice and hold perpetrators and their enablers in the church accountable. It’s a significant step in the right direction toward addressing the harm inflicted on survivors.

The new law has several important provisions:

• It allows survivors to file retroactive lawsuits against their abusers and the institutions that protected them.
• It eliminates the statute of limitations for future childhood sexual abuse claims.
• It increases the damage cap on civil damages for child sexual abuse.
• It eliminates many of the obstacles that prevented survivors from filing lawsuits in the past.

If you are a survivor of sexual abuse by a priest in Baltimore, our experienced clergy abuse attorneys are ready to advocate for your rights. You don’t have to suffer in silence or face this alone. Our compassionate attorneys are ready to hear your story and help you get justice.

Call us today at 1-800-748-7115 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

The Attorney General’s Report Naming Sexual Abusers

Maryland’s Child Victims Act of 2023 came on the heels of a long-awaited report by the attorney general’s (AG) office detailing claims of clergy abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

The report identified 156 priests, deacons, Catholic teachers, and seminarians within the Archdiocese accused of abusing more than 600 victims. Per the report, the true number of victims “is likely far higher.”

The investigators who compiled the report reviewed more than 100,000 pages of documents and interviewed hundreds of victims and witnesses. Some of the claims of abuse go back more than 80 years.

Redactions in the Original AG Report Lifted

While the Archdiocese of Baltimore began voluntarily publishing its own list of accused clergy members starting in 2002, the attorney general’s report identified dozens of additional individuals accused of abuse who were not originally included in the Archdiocese’s list for various reasons.

The AG report (released in April 2023) also included redactions hiding the identities of some individuals. In August 2023,a judge lifted these redactions, revealing the names of 10 additional alleged abusers.

It also revealed the names of 5 ranking officials of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, who were said to have had “extensive participation in the Archdiocese’s handling of abuser clergy and reports of child abuse.”

Timeline of Key Events (Baltimore)

2002 – The Archdiocese of Baltimore begins voluntarily publishing a list of accused clergy members after the Boston Globe reports on the scandal of priest sex abuse and related cover-ups by the American Catholic Church. Initially, there were 57 names on the Archdiocese’s list.

September 2018 – Attorney general Brian Frosh launches a review of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

April 2023 – The attorney general’s office releases a report revealing decades of child sexual abuse and the Archdiocese’s efforts to cover it up. The report lists 156 current or former Catholic clergy and others as having abused more than 600 children. Some names are redacted.

April 2023 – The Child Victims of Act of 2023 is passed, eliminating the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases, among other provisions. The new law becomes effective October 1, 2023.

June 2023 – The Archdiocese of Baltimore adds 42 names to its list of individuals accused of child sex abuse.

August 2023 – A Baltimore judge ruled that redacted names on the AG’s April 2023 report could be revealed. The names of 10 additional alleged abusers and 5 ranking Archdiocese officials were published.

List of Accused Clergy Members in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

The list below includes the individuals listed on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s list of accused priests and brothers. An asterisk (*) indicates that the individual was listed in the Archdiocese’s initial list, published in 2002.

Even if you don’t see the name of your abuser on this list, it does not mean there have been no accusations made against them. Nor does it mean you don’t have a claim.

Our attorneys can help you determine whether you may have a claim. Call us for a free, confidential consultation at 1-800-748-7115.

Louis Affrica (deceased)
Michael Amy
James Avant*
Francis Bach (deceased)
Bruce E. Ball (deceased)*
John Banko (deceased)*
Michael L. Barber
Michael Barnes (deceased)
Thomas Bauernfeind (deceased)*
W. Vincent Bechtel (deceased)
John F.X. Bellwoar (deceased)
Ronald Belschner
Thomas Bevan
Maurice Blackwell*
Louis Bonacci
John Bostwick
Francis C. Bourbon (deceased)
H. Cornell Bradley
William A. Braun (deceased)
Laurence Brett (deceased)*
Frederick Brinkmann*
Joseph F. Brocato
Gerald Bugge (deceased)*
William Burns
C. Jeffries Burton (deceased)
Robert Callahan (deceased)
John Carney (deceased)*
Douglas Carroll*
Robert Cofenas (deceased)
John J. Corbett (deceased)
Brian Cox*
Charles Coyle (deceased)
Fernando Cristancho
Robert B. Cullen (deceased)
Joseph Davies (deceased)
Richard Deakin*
Alfred Dean
Douglas Dempster
Donald Dimitroff*
Francis E. Dolan
James Dowdy*
Thomas Joseph Doyle (deceased)
Robert W. Duerr (deceased)
John Duggan (deceased)*
Frederick Duke (deceased)*
Walter Emala (deceased)*
Luigi Esposito
Alfred Ewanowski (deceased)
Kenneth Farabaugh (deceased)*
Carl A. Fisher (deceased)
Sylvan Fondriest (deceased)
Daniel Free (deceased)
Joseph J. Gallagher (deceased)*
John Gallen (deceased)
George Gardiner
Stephen M. Garrity (deceased)
John Geinzer
Joseph Gerg*
Steven Girard (deceased)
Mark Haight*
John Hammer*
Thomas Harrison
Edward Heilman (deceased)
Marion Helowicz*
Joseph Hill (deceased)
George L. Hopkins (deceased)
Joseph H. Hopkins (deceased)
Robert F. Hopkins (deceased)*
Guillermo Izquierdo (deceased)
Stephen Jeselnick
Albert Julian (deceased)
Thomas F. Kelly
Joseph Kenney (deceased)
Simon E. Kenny (deceased)
Walter Anthony Klick (deceased)
Paul Knapp*
Michael Kolodziej
Joseph Krach (deceased)
William Earl “Jay” Krouse
Joseph Kruse*
Michael Kuhn
Michael LaMountain (deceased)*
Xavier Langan (deceased)
James V. Lannon (deceased)
Ross LaPorta (deceased)*
Regis F. Larkin (deceased)
Thomas B. Lee*
Francis LeFevre*
Robert Lentz (deceased)
Robert Aloysius Lindemann (deceased)
Phillip Linden
John Lippold (deceased)
Robert J. Lochner (deceased)
Arthur Long (deceased)
Anthony Lorento*
George Loskarn (deceased)*
E. Neil Magnus (deceased)
Ronald Mardaga*
Kenneth Martin*
A. Joseph Maskell (deceased)*
Arthur Maurer (deceased)*
Benedict Mawn (deceased)
John J. McCarthy (deceased)
William F. McCarthy
Francis McGrath*
Eugene Ambrose McGuire (deceased)
Neil P. McLaughlin
John J. McMahon
Lawrence C. Meegan
Raymond Melville*
Ronald Michaud*
Robert Michele
William Migliorini (deceased)
John Mike*
Michael Miller
Jerome A. Moody (deceased)
William Morgan (deceased)
Thomas Morrissey
Timothy Murphy (deceased)*
J. Glenn Murray
Robert Newman*
Joseph O’Meara
Garrett D. Orr
Claude L. Ory
Donald J. O’Toole
Henry O’Toole*
John Padian (deceased)
John B. Peacock (deceased)
Dennis Pecore*
Adrian Poletti (deceased)
Edward Powers
William Presley (deceased)
Blair Raum (deceased)
Thomas Rochacewcz*
Francis Roscetti (deceased)
Charles Rouse*
Thomas Rydzewski*
Michael Salerno
John Joseph Sheehan
Edward A. Sheehy (deceased)
William Simms (deceased)*
David Smith*
Richard Smith (deceased)
Thomas Smith (deceased)*
Michael Spillane*
Carl Steffen (deceased)
Edmund Stroup (deceased)*
Francis Sweeney (deceased)*
Alcuin W. Tasch (deceased)
Joseph A. Thibault
Jerome Toohey*
James Toulas (deceased)*
Gerald Tragesser (deceased)*
Urbano Vazquez-Ortega
Jorge Antonio Velez-Lopez
William Virtue
Rudolph T. Vorisek (deceased)
William J. Walsh (deceased)
William Wehrle (deceased)*
John Wielebski
John F. Wilson/Shine
Howard F. Yeakle (deceased)
Raynor Ziemski (deceased)

We Help Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Priests in Baltimore—Call Us Today

If you or someone you love suffered Baltimore priest abuse or sexual abuse by another clergy member, the experienced clergy sex abuse lawyers at Saunders & Walker P.A. are ready to fight for you.

Even if you were abused years or decades ago, you may still have a claim with the passage of the Child Victims Act of 2023. This legislation expands rights for survivors.

If you don’t see the name of the person who abused you on the list above, it does not mean you don’t have a claim.

We have years of experience handling clergy sexual abuse cases, and we know how to navigate the legal process. We will handle your case with sensitivity, care, and compassion. You deserve justice, and we want to help you.

There is no substitute for sound legal advice when you have been the victim of past abuse by a trusted religious figure. Contact us today at 1-800-748-7115 to speak to one of our experienced team members.

Our clergy abuse attorneys can help you build your case and inform you about the average settlement for clergy abuse.