FT. MYERS (FL)
NBC 2 TV
June 11, 2019
Roman Catholic Bishops were in Baltimore on Tuesday to confront the reignited sex abuse crisis. They’re looking at increasing their accountability when it comes to sex abuse cases.
Several Attorneys General, including Florida’s, launched state investigations after a Pennsylvania Grand Jury report in August detailed hundreds of cases of alleged abuse.
More than half of all the dioceses around the country have released lists with the names of Catholic clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children.
Just last month, the Archdiocese of New York, the second-largest diocese in the nation, identified 120 priests and deacons accused of sexually abusing a child or having child pornography.
This all comes one year after a report released by a grand jury in Pennsylvania accused more than 300 priests of sexually abusing children.
The NBC2 Investigators asked the seven dioceses in Florida to send us a list of clergy who had been credibly accused of sexually abusing children, but only one of the seven, the Diocese of St. Petersburg, sent the NBC2 Investigators a list.
“Even if years have passed, we want to hear from you,” said former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, last October.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement last October, that all seven of Florida’s catholic dioceses were part of a statewide investigation into clergy abuse.
When the NBC2 Investigators asked current AG Ashley Moody’s office where that investigation stands, spokesperson Kylie Mason said, “As this investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment further at this time.”
When the NBC2 Investigators asked the Diocese of Venice, which covers all six counties in our viewing area, for a list of clergy who had been credibly accused, spokesperson Bob Reddy said, “Out of respect for the statewide prosecutor’s declared practice of not commenting regarding ongoing investigations, the Diocese is doing the same and does not foresee making any further statements on this issue.”
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