The office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a report that their investigation has identified 454 priests accused of child sex abuse, leading to charges being filed against 11 men. The investigation has also identified 811 reported victims.
The AG office released the report on October 5, around the twp-year anniversary of the execution of a search warrant at seven diocesan facilities in Michigan on October 3, 2018. That operation involved 42 Michigan State Police troopers, five other officers and 15 AG office special agents, seizing 220 boxes of paper documents and over 3.5 million digital documents. Over 2.24 million of the digital documents have been reviewed.
The report stated that information received through the AG’s clergy abuse tip line has generated 750 abuse-related tips which have led to 112 police investigations, 285 police reports and 180 victim interviews.
Charges have been filed against the following:
- Vincent DeLorenzo was charged with three felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
- Jacob Vellian was charged with two counts of rape.
- Timothy Crowley was charged with four felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and four felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charges were dismissed but an AG appeal remains pending.
- Gary Jacobs faces 10 sexual conduct charges in five cases.
- Roy Joseph was charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
- Neil Kalina was charged with two felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
- Joseph “Jack” Baker was charged with one count of first degree criminal sexual conduct.
- Joseph Comperchio was charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
- Gary Berthiaume was charged with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
- Patrick Casey was charged with one felony count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and served 45 days in jail.
- Brian Stanley was charged with false imprisonment. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, sex offender registration and probation.
The breakdown of accused priests and identified victims based on diocese in the report is as follows:
- Grand Rapids: 105 accused priests, 207 identified victims
- Lansing: 100 accused priests, 158 identified victims
- Gaylord: 40 accused priests, 70 identified victims
- Detroit: 32 accused priests, 48 identified victims
- Saginaw: 53 accused priests, 67 identified victims
- Kalamazoo: 22 accused priests, 13 identified victims
- Marquette: 54 accused priests, 144 identified victims
Jeffrey Nadrich
Jeffrey Nadrich is a nationally-recognized California plaintiff’s personal injury attorney. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of the Law. He has successfully represented thousands of injury clients over the last 40 years.
