Catholic Priest Faces Invasion of Privacy Charges in Council Bluffs

By Joey Aguirre
Des Moines Register
August 26, 2016

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2016/08/26/catholic-priest-facing-invasion-privacy-charges/89443464/

A retired Catholic priest is facing invasion of privacy charges after an alleged incident at a high school track meet in April, according to a news release from the Diocese of Des Moines.

The Rev. Paul Monahan, who in retirement was the senior chaplain at St. Albert Schools in Council Bluffs, was charged by the Iowa Attorney General's Office with five counts of invasion of privacy.

Online court records show that the alleged offense happened April 4 in Pottawatomie County. Monahan was charged under a section of the Iowa Code that prohibits viewing, photographing or filming of a person for sexual gratification if the person is either nude or does not know or give consent to the fact that they are being viewed.

The charge is a serious misdemeanor.

"The diocese's first priority must be in creating a safe environment for children," the release reads.

Diocese of Des Moines Bishop Richard Pates suspended Monahan on July 8 after learning of the investigation. The suspension will remain in place until the case is resolved by authorities.

An attempt to reach the attorney general's office for more information was unsuccessful.

The Rev. Paul Monahan (Photo: Diocese of Des Moines)

Monahan, ordained in 1960, retired in 2004 and then served as a senior chaplain at St. Albert Schools in Council Bluffs. He was a teacher at Dowling Catholic for fours years in the 1960s before being assigned to St. Albert, where he taught and later became principal.

His parish ministry included St. Columbanus in Weston, St. Mary in Avoca, St. Patrick in Walnut, Holy Family in Council Bluffs, St. Mary in Portsmouth and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Glenwood.

"We must allow the law to run full course before further steps are taken by church authorities," Pates said in the release, urging prayer for those involved. He had no further comment.

A 2014 audit of all priests in the diocese showed no evidence of previous sexual misconduct from Monahan, according to the release.

Contact: jaguirre@gannett.com