Former Priest Hit with More Sex Abuse Charges

By Kyle Perrotti
The Mountaineer
July 11, 2018

https://www.themountaineer.com/news/former-priest-hit-with-more-sex-abuse-charges/article_ee413bf4-8468-11e8-9e51-f7fcccf9e4fd.html

White during his first appearance in Haywood County Superior Court, during which Assistant District Attorney Jeff Jones noted that two more alleged victims had come forward.

A former priest currently being held at the Haywood County Detention Center has been charged with eight more felonies relating to the alleged sexual abuse of children.

Howard White, 76, was charged with the felonies Monday afternoon following an indictment by a Haywood County Grand Jury. According to court documents, the charges relate to two alleged victims, one who claims he was abused in 1984 and the other who claims he was abused in 2004.

Prior to his most recent indictment involving two more Haywood victims, White was facing charges of first-degree forcible sex offense, two counts of indecent liberties with a child, first-degree forcible rape, four counts second-degree forcible sex offense, and second-degree forcible rape.

With the latest round of indictments, he is facing five more counts of indecent liberties with a child, one more count of second-degree sex offense, and two more counts of second-degree forcible sex offense.

According to the court documents, White engaged “in a sexual act with [the victim] by force and against his will and/or while [the victim] was mentally incapacitated and/or physically helpless.”

Although White’s charges are new, it was mentioned during a May 4 bond hearing that two more alleged victims had come forward to Waynesville police.

"One came forward just a few days ago and, one was just a few weeks ago," District Attorney Jeff Jones said during that hearing.

White lived in Haywood County from 1984-2006, during which he acted as the rector for Waynesville’s Grace Church in the Mountains. Prior to returning to Haywood to face his pending charges here, he was being held at a county correctional facility in Boston after pleading guilty to five counts of assault and battery related to the 1973 sexual abuse of a boy.

Waynesville Police Lt. Chris Chandler heads up the department’s Criminal Investigation Division and has put in much of the work to bring White up on charges related to all four of his alleged Haywood County victims.

“As a result of the last charges, additional people have come forward, which is typical in this kind of case,” he said. “And it wouldn’t be surprising if more victims came forward.”

Neither White’s defense attorneys nor the district attorney’s office could be reached for comment.