SALT LAKE CITY ()
ABC4 KTVX / CW30 KUCW [Salt Lake City UT]
August 1, 2025
By Abigail Jones
The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City has issued an apology to a victim of sexual abuse by a priest that happened in the 1990s, and the victim responded, urging the Diocese to remove additional Church officials who he says enabled his abuse.
William Hambleton was abused by a Catholic priest in Salt Lake City from 1991-1992, beginning when he was 16 years old, Hambleton said in a statement. In December of 2024, he made a report of that abuse to the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who then investigated his claim.
The Diocese found that Hambleton’s allegation of abuse was credible, and that the priest involved would have his faculties permanently removed. Hambleton stated that he is grateful for this outcome and for the apology, but that other church officials were involved in concealing his abuse, and as such, they also need to be removed.
What the Diocese found
Hambleton stated that Father Heriberto Mejia from the Diocese of Villavicencio, Colombia abused him while Mejia was ministering in Utah. In 1992, Meija was “permanently removed from ministry in the Diocese and left Utah,” according to a news release from the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
The Diocese opened an investigation, which was conducted by an independent investigator, who was given “unfettered access to all the information the Diocese had in its possession.” The investigation concluded in July 2025, and the investigator gave a report to the Diocesan Independent Review Board.
The Review Board made a recommendation to Bishop Oscar A. Solis, who then determined that Hambleton’s allegation of abuse was credible. In response, the Diocese offered counseling to Hambleton and family members and shared information with local law enforcement.
Additionally, Mejia’s home diocese will be informed of the outcome, and “his faculties have been permanently removed in Utah and in his Diocese of Columbia,” according to the news release. The reports will also be passed on to higher authorities in the church: the Papal Nuncio in Washington D.C. and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Las Vegas, for evaluation and further recommendations.
Bishop Solis extended an apology to Hambleton, “for the sexual abuse you received from Fr. Heriberto Mejia in the 1990’s, and for the many years of suffering and pain you have endured,” Solis said.
“No one should experience such trauma, especially from any member of the clergy. I personally pray and hope for your complete healing, peace, and that of your family,” he continued.
Hambleton’s response
Following this decision from the Diocese, Hambleton released a statement.
“I am grateful that Bishop Oscar Solis and the Diocese of Salt Lake City have finally acknowledged and apologized for the sexual abuse I endured at the hands of Fr. Heriberto Mejia from 1991-1992, beginning when I was 16 years old,” Hambleton began.
However, he also said that he was “deeply disappointed” with his meeting with Bishop Solis and Fr. John Evans.
“While Bishop Solis acknowledged the abuse I suffered at the hands of Fr. Mejia, he continued to shield Msgr. Robert Bussen and Msgr. Terrence Fitzgerald from accountability,” Hambleton continued.
Hambleton stated that over the past seven months, he provided Solis with “substantial information” suggesting that Bussen and Fitzgerald played “direct roles” in concealing Mejia’s misconduct. Reportedly, Bishop Solis confirmed to Hambleton that an internal review of these claims began recently, but he did not offer Hambleton any further detail.
Hambleton’s concerns stem from several issues. First, allegations of sexual abuse against Mejia date back to August 1991, and though Bussen was serving as Vicar General at that time, he failed to remove Mejia from ministry for 14 months. He also did not report the allegations to law enforcement at all, which is a violation of diocesan policy.
“As a result of Bussen’s inaction, Mejia continued to abuse me for another year,” Hambleton stated.
Second, Bishop Solis reportedly wrote a letter to Hambleton stating that he had confronted Fitzgerald regarding a sexual assault, and Fitzgerald then resigned from his position as Special Assistant to the Bishop.
Finally, Hambleton stated that Bishop Solis was given a statement that showed that Fitzgerald told others that he routinely destroyed official documents when they were critical of the Diocese of Salt Lake City or its priests.
Hambleton concluded his statement by calling for the removal of priestly faculties from Bussen and Fitzgerald.
I urge Bishop Solis to take meaningful steps toward justice. This includes the removal of priestly faculties from both Msgr. Robert Bussen and Msgr. Terrence Fitzgerald. Collectively, these two men held the office of Vicar General for thirty years. Their moral and administrative failures contributed to a culture of sexual abuse and misconduct. Revoking their priestly faculties would represent a necessary step toward the transparency and accountability that the Diocese of Salt Lake City has yet to fully embrace under Bishop Solis’s leadership.”
William Hambleton, Ed.D.