MARQUETTE (MI)
WPBN - NBC 7 [Traverse City MI]
October 27, 2022
By Brandon Chew
LANSING, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — On Thursday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the release of a 154-page report detailingallegations of abuse at Michigan’s seven dioceses, including the Diocese of Marquette.
The report is a compilation of the information obtained from the Department of Attorney General tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from the Diocese, electronic documents found on the Diocesan computers and reports of allegations disclosed by the Diocese.
Diocese of Marquette – FINAL REPORT – Oct – 2022
“The report contains detailed descriptions of allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct, including grooming and misuse of authority, against minors and adults,” the Michigan Department of Attorney General said.
In Oct. 2018, Michigan law enforcement authorities executed search warrants at Michgian’s seven dioceses and seized 220 boxes of pater documents and over 3.5 million digital documents, the department said.
To date, two cases related to priests ministering in the Diocese of Marquette have been brought to court. One case resulted in convictions while the other case remains pending.
In April 2021, Gary Jacobs pled guilty three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Jacobs was sentenced on these cases to serve 8-15 years in prison and to register as a lifetime sex offender.
In May 2021, Jacobs plead guilty in Dickinson County to second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced in this case to serve 8-15 years.
Roy Joseph was charged in Jan. 2020 with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Joseph is awaiting extradition from India, the Michigan Department of Attorney General said.