CINCINNATI (OH)
WXIX - Fox19 [Cincinnati OH]
September 17, 2025
By By Jennifer Edwards Baker
CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A priest is on administrative leave amid a criminal investigation, according to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
A church employee “uncovered the possibility that concerning websites were accessed, including pornography sites,” on a laptop that Father Edward “Ed” Burns Jr. had used, according to a letter Tuesday from the archdiocese to parishioners.
The archdiocese shared the letter with FOX19 NOW when we reached out to them for comment.
Burns has been the pastor since 2018 of St. Carlo Acutis Parish, which includes two churches with schools in Hamilton County and a church in Butler County:
- St. Gabriel Church and school in Glendale
- St. Michael the Archangel Church and school in Sharonville
- St. John the Evangelist Church in West Chester Township
Burns recently abruptly left, raising questions among parishioners.
His last message to them in the weekly bulletin was on Sunday, Aug. 31, according to a copy of it online.
Here is the letter from the archdiocese to parishioners in its entirety:
“As recently announced at weekend Masses, Fr. Edward Burns was placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati pending an investigation. An administrative leave does not entail a presumption of guilt.
“At St. Michael the Archangel Parish, where Fr. Burns has been pastor since 2018, a computer that had been used by Fr. Burns was being repurposed. During that process, an employee uncovered the possibility that concerning websites were accessed, including pornography sites. This information was brought to the attention of the Pastoral Center and then reported by the Pastoral Center to law enforcement for their review.
“Fr. Burns will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. While on administrative leave, Fr. Burns is not present in the parish offices and will not be on school campuses.
“As this is an open investigation, we have no additional information to share at this time.”
A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said she had no additional information.
FOX19 NOW reached out to Burns for comment.
We will update this story when we hear back.
The archdiocese notified the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office on Aug. 28, according to a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office.
They immediately forwarded it to the sheriff’s office: “The matter is currently being investigated and we cannot comment further.”
A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office confirmed an active investigation is ongoing regarding the priest, but declined further comment.
Reached for comment, Ohioans for Child Protection released the following statement:
“Parents should expect transparency from any youth-serving institution. While we do not know what has occurred in this situation, in past abuse cases, the culture of silence allowed for further abuse.
“We are thankful for parents that have bravely spoken out for transparency and a safe environment for families. We look forward to the day that the Archdiocese of Cincinnati adopts a culture of transparency, releases abuse files and compensates victims.”
Jennifer Schack, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, requested to clarify that they do compensate victims.
“This is from our website and has been a longstanding part of our Decree on Child Protection,” she wrote in an email to FOX19 NOW.
“All who make a substantiated allegation of abuse against a cleric or other representative of the Church are offered:
- “Compassionate care from the Ministry to Survivors of Abuse coordinator.
- “Pastoral and spiritual support from the Church.
- “Counseling assistance with the counselor of their choosing for as long as it is helpful. The Church will continue to pay for counseling sessions to support these survivors on their journey of healing.”
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