Fr. Joseph D. Galko
First named publicly as accused in the 8/14/2018 PA Grand Jury Report. Included on the Diocese’s 8/19/2018 list of credibly accused. The Diocese was aware of issues as early as 1984. Galko admitted to sex with an 18-year-old male parishioner and to incidents with other males over the years, pre- and post-seminary and ordination. There were concerns in 1987 about his spending too much time with altar servers and his interaction with adolescent boys. He was sent to the Vianney Center in Downingtown PA for treatment. Placed on leave in 1988. In 2002 there was a report to the Diocese of abuse the sexual abuse of a male, age 17-18, in 1980 or 1981. There was another report in 2007 of the abuse of a 13-year-old 8th grade boy from St. Anne’s in Bethlehem. Galko acknowledged the abuse. Both victims said Galko plied them with alcohol. He was laicized in 2010.
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