KENTUCKY
Messenger-Inquirer
Posted: Friday, June 8, 2012
By James Mayse Messenger-Inquirer
A former priest at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church in Whitesville and other Daviess County churches was arrested this morning by the Owensboro Police Department on charges of first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse.
The Rev. Louis Francis Piskula, 72, of the 7100 block of Kentucky 815 was indicted Tuesday by the Daviess Grand Jury on charges of first-degree sodomy, victim under 12, and first-degree sexual abuse. The sodomy charge is a class A felony, punishable upon conviction by a sentencing range between 20 years to life in prison. First-degree sexual abuse is a class D felony punishable upon conviction by one to five years in prison.
In a prepared statement, Chancellor Kevin Kauffeld, chief administrative officer for the Diocese of Owensboro, said diocese officials received a report from a man that he had been sexually abused by Piskula “in incidents dating from 1978.” The statement says diocese officials reported the man’s statement to the Daviess County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office and has cooperated with the investigation.
The Diocese statement says counseling services have been offered to the person who made the abuse allegations.
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