Diocese of Venice FL – BishopAccountability.org

9 Accused in this Diocese

Fr. Carl Bartholomew

Order: SAC
Ordained: 2000
Status: Accused

Ordained at age 53. Assigned at some point to St. Martha's in Sarasota. Accused in 4/2002 by a woman of molesting her 16-year-old son in 1994 when Bartholomew was a chiropractor in Bradenton, FL, prior to ordination. Bartholomew was not assigned to the Venice diocese in 4/2002 and was reportedly in England. In 10/2002 a committee of lay persons investigated and cleared Bartholomew. The priest acknowledged genital contact with the boy, but said it was part of a medical procedure. One committee member, a psychologist, had once examined another teenage boy who had alleged that Bartholomew made sexual advances toward him in 1998. Bartholomew was returned to full active status.

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Fr. Charles Michael Cikovic

Ordained: 1986
Status: Guilty plea

Died: 5/2/2022
Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

Placed on leave in 1993 after allegations of a sexual "relationship" with a 13-year-old girl 6/1992-2/8/1993. Pleaded guilty in 1993 on four counts of sexual battery and/or lewd acts; sentenced to 6 months in jail and 20 years probation with mandatory treatment and forced retirement. Released from jail in 12/1995. A civil suit was filed and settled out of court in 1997, reported in 2002 to have been $550K. Previous allegations in the 1980s.On Sex Offender Registry. Settled in MO, married in 2001. Per his obituary, Cikovic "accepted [his wife's] three daughters as his own." Died 5/2/2022.

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Fr. Donald Baier

Ordained: 1975
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

Retired in 2000. Per news in 7/2002, Baier's ministerial rights were permanently revoked by the Bishop after an anonymous letter with documentation of alleged abuse was received in 5/2002. Investigation found evidence of at least two victims in separate locations.

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Fr. Edward McLoughlin

Ordained: 1978
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

From Ireland. The Diocese knew in 1983 that McLoughlin had boys sleeping overnight at his rectory. Accused in a 1997 lawsuit of abuse of a boy after the boy sought counseling because of prior abuse by his choir director. Settled in 1999 for $599K. Laicized 11/21/2000. Reportedly in 2002 McLoughlin was living in Ireland. (Brother of Fr. Nicholas McLoughlin, also a priest of the Diocese of Venice accused of child sexual abuse.)

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Fr. George Brennan

Ordained: 1987
Status: Sued

Died: 1/20/2011
Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

Accused in a civil suit filed in 11/2005 of abusing an 11-year-old boy in the early 1980s while a seminary student at Incarnation Catholic Church. In 1991 Brennan pleaded no contest to exposing himself to an undercover deputy at a highway rest stop. Retired in 9/2008. Continued to assist at Incarnation Parish. Died 1/20/2011.

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Fr. Jean Ronald Joseph

Ordained: 1993
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

From Haiti. Ordained for the Diocese of Venice. Allegations first made in 8/2008. Agreed to a leave of absence in 12/2008 pending an investigation of allegations that he had sexually abused a 16-year-old boy in 1993 at St. Frances Xavier parish in Ft. Meyers. Joseph denied all allegations. Canon law trial held in 2013 found denials not credible. Settlement of claims announced 08/20/2014. It is believed that Joseph was was laicized in 2013. Apparently the case was settled only after secret 2013 documents were given to the plaintiff which showed that the Church knew the priest was guilty of abusing him as a child and that other victims were also known.The decision to laicize was appealed to Rome.

Fr. Neil Flemming

Ordained: 1958
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

Placed on leave in 2002 after allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor. Incident was alleged to have occurred more than 30 years prior. Permanently removed in early 2004 after man filed a civil suit alleging Flemming and his brother James abused him at Boystown, a Miami-area orphanage, where Flemming was named director in 1965. At least one suit settled in 9/2004 as part of large Archdiocese of Miami settlement. Two new suits were filed 9/30/2009 against the Archdiocese of Miami; settled in 2011. Three new suits were filed by three men in 8/2011.

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Fr. Thomas M. Anglim

Ordained: 1954
Status: Sued

Died: 1/19/2010
Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

From Ireland. Pastor of St. Francis Xavier in Ft. Myers FL 1966-2004. Retired in 2004. Died in Ireland in 1/2010. Accused in a 4/2010 civil suit of abuse of at least one youth 1967-1968. Per the plaintiff, there were other victims. The suit names the Archdiocese of Miami and the Diocese of Venice, which was part of Miami at the time of the alleged abuse. Anglim supervised two other known abusers.

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Fr. William Romero

Ordained: 1967
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Venice FL

Retired in 1995. Faculties revoked in 5/2002 due to accusations dating back "many years." Allegedly, during the 1975-1976 school year at St. Ann's in Naples, Romero would force students to undress in his bedroom, after which they would share wine from the chalice and take the host wafer. He would also take nude pictures of some children. Hosted foreign exchange students; two from Germany alleged abuse. Several suits filed. Some settled 2004-2005. A 6/2003 suit claimed rape of a Miami boy, age 10, in 1975. An 8/2003 suit claimed abuse of three siblings, a girl and two boys, 1982-1989 in Moore Haven. Left the priesthood in 2003. Was still hosting exchange students. Suit in 10/2003 said abuse of boy, age 12, in 1976. New civil suit vs the Miami archdiocese 3/22/2012 claimed abuse of a boy at St. Augustine's in Coral Gables in the 1970s.

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