DUBUQUE (IA)
KWWL-TV, NBC-7 [Waterloo IA]
May 13, 2024
By Austin Ellis
[Photo above: A judge set Fr. Leo Riley’s bond at $500,000.]
A former Dubuque Priest charged with sexually abusing altar boys in the 1980s made his first appearance in court in Dubuque on Monday.
Father Leo Riley, charged with five counts of second-degree sexual abuse, has been placed on a $500,000 bond. Riley was apprehended in his home state of Florida last month before bonding out to face the charges in Iowa.
Riley is accused of abusing young boys during his time with the Archdiocese of Dubuque in the 1980s. Riley later moved to Florida in the early 2000s.
Should he put up the bond amount, Riley will be in custody of the Department of Corrections where he’ll sent to a halfway home. He would be barred from making contact with minors, as well as a no-contact order with the victims.
Riley’s attorney, Guy Cook, noted in court on Monday that Riley passed two separate polygraph tests. Cook also said that he intends to challenge the bond, while also arguing that his client is innocent.
Cook said in court on Monday, “On the merits, I’m here to tell you that he’s not only presumed innocent, he is innocent. And that’s not me speaking, that’s the result of two polygraph examinations conducted by former FBI agents regarding alleged misdeeds at the Parish Resurrection School.”
Riley’s next appearance in court will be on Wednesday, May 22.
Austin Ellis started his career with KWWL in March 2022. He serves as a Digital Content Producer where he leads curation of content for the website and social media platforms.
aellis@kwwl.com