Defrocked St. Louis Priest Sent to Prison for Molestation Being Released

By Kevin Killeen
CBS St. Louis
February 17, 2015

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/02/17/st-louis-priest-sent-to-prison-for-molestation-being-released/

A former St. Louis Archdiocese priest who served 12 years in prison for sexually molesting a 5-year-old boy is scheduled to be released later this month.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, is calling on Archbishop Robert Carlson to warn the flock about Gary Wolken, now 48, who is scheduled for release Feb. 23 from the Bonne Terre prison.

“We’d like to see Archbishop Carlson do aggressive outreach to anybody who saw or suspected or suffered Father Wolken’s crimes so that he might be charged again, convicted again and kept away from kids,” says SNAP’s David Clohessy.

Clohessy says the Archdiocese paid it’s largest known settlement ever to Wolken’s victim – $1.6 million.

He believes there are more victims out there, and he wants Carlson to encourage them to call police.

“We are suggesting though that Carlson use his resources, archdiocese website, parish bulletins, pulpit announcements, to at lease warn parents,” Clohessy says.

The St. Louis Archdiocese says Wolken was defrocked and is no longer a part of of the Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese did not respond to SNAP’s call for the Archbishop to urge more possible victims of Wolken to call police.

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