Former Priest in Wisconsin Arrested Again, SNAP Responds

SNAP
February 28, 2019

http://www.snapnetwork.org/former_priest_in_wisconsin_arrested_again_snap_responds

Former priest Richard L. Thomas was defrocked just last year, even though he was arrested in 1990 and again in 1993 for similarly exposing his genitals to kids (he was convicted in the latter case). We are relieved that Thomas will again be jailed and that kids in Wisconsin will be safer.

Because his behavior is so unrelenting, we feel confident that a thorough outreach effort by church staff in Green Bay would bring forward other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers. That might enable the justice system to keep Thomas away from kids forever.

To our knowledge, Thomas worked in these Wisconsin towns: Menasha, Kaukana, Appleton, Green Bay and Allouez. We urge Bishop David Ricken to travel to the parishes in these areas where Thomas worked and personally urge others who may have seen, suspected, or suffered abuse to come forward and make a report to law enforcement immediately.

CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (zhiner@snapnetwork.org, 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)