Fr. John J. Whiteley

Accused in a 1991 lawsuit of sexually abusing David Clohessy 1969-1973, beginning when the boy was age 11. The abuse included touching the boy’s genitals and lying on top of him during trips, some of them out-of-state. Whiteley allegedly abused others including Clohessy’s brother Kevin, later a priest and himself accused of abuse. Whiteley was a college chaplain from 1983; Army reserve chaplain by 1990; chancery job in 1991; resigned and disappeared in 1992. Case dismissed in 1992 after a MO Supreme Court decision on a new statute of limitations law. Whiteley later reportedly became a flight attendant. He was last known to be living in Naples FL, and possibly moved to the Miami area. The Diocese gave David Clohessy a $40,000 settlement 8/19/2015. Clohessy asked the Diocese to post names of proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics on parish websites and to warn FL Catholics about Whiteley; the Diocese did not meet that request. As of 11/2018 Whiteley had not been laicized. Included on the Diocese’s list 11/8/2018.