justice for California sexual abuse survivors

Oakland diocese abuse survivors

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If you or someone you know was sexually abused or sexually assaulted by clergy or laity, you can hold abusers and the Oakland Diocese accountable. California law opened a limited-time window for compensation. The time to act is now.

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JUSTICE FOR Oakland Diocese ABUSE SURVIVORS

Our legal team of compassionate professionals has empowered hundreds of abuse survivors to come forward with claims against individuals and related entities. We are ready to help you or your loved one achieve justice for what happened within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland.

LEGACY OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND HARASSMENT

In California, cases of abuse have been raised in all 11 Catholic Diocese. Several of these Dioceses have created victim compensation funds in an effort to heal and move beyond the allegations of systemic abuse.

Here are lists of credibly accused priests in the Diocese of Oakland, and elsewhere in California:

Perpetrators of alleged sexual harassment and assault may include:

Fr. Jeffrey N. Acebo

Ordained: 1986
As a newly ordained priest, Acebo confessed to Bishop Cummins in 1986 that he had molested a 16-year-old girl. He wanted to make the “relationship” public, but the Bishop refused. He sent Acebo for treatment and reassigned him. Acebo served in four parishes during the next 15 years. Acebo was named in civil lawsuit and in an apology service. Acebo’s name appears on the diocese's list in 2019, noting that Acebo’s abuse occurred from 1986-88. He was removed from ministry in April 2002 and given a life of prayer and penance.

Fr. Thomas Duong Binh-Minh

Ordained: 1990
Binh-Minh was publicly accused of being an abuser by the Oakland Diocese on its list in 2019, with abuse allegations dating back to 1987. Binh-Minh was removed from ministry in April 2002. He was last-known to be living in Concord, CA

Fr. Vincent Ignatius Breen

Ordained: 1939
In 1982, Breen was forced to retire at age 70, seek treatment, and leave area to avoid prosecution for fondling eight girls over a year and half period. Breen may have abused as many as 100 victims, from the 1950s-1980s. In 1967, one girl disclosed to a nun, who was her school principal that Breen abused her. The nun is believed to have informed the Diocese. In 1982, Vicar General Macchi stated that he had first heard "rumors" about Msgr. Breen three years prior. Breen died Dec. 31, 1986. In the early 2000s, a civil lawsuit was filed accusing Breen of abuse. In November 2010, another civil lawsuit claimed additional abuse allegations by Breen from 1980-81. The Oakland Diocese named Breen on its 2019 list of credibly accused abusers. In November 2019, another civil lawsuit claimed additional abuse allegations by Breen.

Fr. Donald Eugene Broderson

Ordained: 1968
In an April 2003 civil lawsuit, Broderson was accused of repeatedly molesting an altar boy during the 1970s. In 1991, Broderson was "forced into retirement" and officially retired later. The Diocese knew of complaints against him in 1991. In 2003, cases relating to Broderson’s abuse settled. Broderson admitted to abuse. Broderson became a marriage and family therapist/licensed hypnotist in Richmond, Calif. After he was laicized on March 21, 2005, six victims who were brothers sued in 2007. The case was dismissed then reinstated February 2009 by the appeals court. The California Supreme Court dismissed the case on March 29, 2012. Broderson died Sept 19, 2010. In 2019, Broderson’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese's list of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Kenneth J. Cabral

Ordained: 1950
Cabral was accused of abuse at St. Catherine of Siena in Martinez from 1964-65. Cabral was designated as being on sick leave from 1987-91. On June 30, 1991, Cabral was removed from ministry and retired. In 2004, Cabral was named publicly in 2004 at one of the diocese's apology services. Cabral died March 3, 1996. In 2019, Cabral’s name was included on the Oakland Diocese's list of credibly accused.

Fr. Alexander Q. Castillo

Ordained: 2011
Castillo is from Costa Rica. In 2008, he arrived in the United States. His assignments included parishes in Oakley and Fremont. Castillo served as a teacher at St. Junipero Serra Catechetical Institute and academic dean of Escuela de Ministerios Pastorales. Castillo also served as Director of the Department of Faith Formation and Evangelization and episcopal master of ceremonies. On Jan. 30, 2019, Castillo was informed that he had been placed on leave pending an investigation into sexual misconduct toward a minor, and the same day, the diocese publicly announced his leave in a press release. However, police were notified of the allegation five hours later. Castillo fled the country. He denied the allegation. Castillo wrote a letter to other Oakland priests saying the situation was a "misunderstanding" and that he was "not strong enough" to prove his innocence. On Feb. 22, 2019, the diocese filed a missing persons report with police. In December 2022, the Diocese claimed to have had no contact with Castillo and to not know his whereabouts. Police said there were two possible victims abused by Castillo, abused between 2011 and 2014.

Fr. Ricardo Chavez

Ordained: 1963
In 2020, a civil lawsuit accusing Chavez of sexual abuse settled for $3.5 million. The suit alleged that Chavez sexually abused a 10-year-old altar boy at St. Peter Martyr in Pittsburg, California, for more than 10 years. The plaintiff's attorney said Chavez had been accused of molesting minors in the 1990s while he served as pastor of St. Leander in San Leandro, and that the diocese did not investigate. Further, a plaintiff’s attorney alleged that Chavez was allowed to continue in active ministry for months after it received the new allegations in October 2019. In 2019, Chavez's accuser, a former seminarian, alleged he was raped several years prior by Rev. Michael Van Dinh, and abused as a seminarian in Oregon by Rev. Luis Lopez.

Fr. James A. Clark

Ordained: 1947
In 1963, Clark was arrested and convicted on felony charge of oral copulation with a 19-year-old man in Santa Cruz and given probation. In 1965, the diocese transferred Clark to Corpus Christi parish in Fremont, where he abused "numerous" children. On April 29, 1984, Clark retired, and five years later, on July 27, 1989, Cark died. In December 2003, two brothers filed a civil lawsuit alleging abuse by Clark from 1968-1972. A third plaintiff filed a separate suit. In August 2005, at least one claim was included as part of a $56.4 million payout to 56 childhood sexual abuse survivors.

Fr. Edmond G. Cloutier

Ordained: 1946
Coultier served as associate pastor at three parishes before becoming pastor at St. Augustine in Pleasanton, California. In 1980, Coultier retired.

Fr. Phillip Colloty

Ordained: 1950
In 2019, the Santa Barbara Province, Franciscans included Colloty’s among its list of credibly accused abusers. Colloty’s file indicates that he sexually abused a minor in 1955, which was reported in 2010. Colloty died in 1976. In 2019, Colloty’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese's list of abusers.

Fr. Hilary Cooper

Ordained: 1965
In 2019, Cooper’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese’s list of credibly accused abusers. Cooper was ordained for the Benedictines in Kansas City; he was incardinated into the Oakland Diocese on Oct. 1, 1976. The abuse was noted to have occurred in 1978. Cooper was removed from ministry in 1995 and given life of prayer and penance.

Fr. Virendra Coutts

In 2019, Coutts’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese’s list of credibly accused abusers. It’s not specified if Coutts was a priest or deacon.

Fr. George E. Crespin

Ordained: 1962
From 1979 to 1994, Crespin served as chancellor and/or vicar general at various times. In 2005, Crespin was accused in a civil lawsuit of molesting a boy in 1975 while he served as pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City. Crespin denied the allegations. The diocese investigated; a review board found "insufficient evidence" to support the allegations. In June 2005, Crespin’s privileges as a retired priest were restored. Crespin admitted not reporting incidents of abuse involving other priests. In August 2005, the Oakland Diocese paid the plaintiff $600,000 as part of global settlement. In December 2019, two men filed a civil lawsuit against the Diocese under the California Child Victims Act, claiming cover-up of abuse by Crespin and Rev. Stephen Kiesle at Our Lady of the Rosary during the 1970s. The man accusing Crespin said the abuse started when he was age 11, and that the priest also abused his best friend, who died by suicide.

Fr. Sidney J. Custodio

Ordained: 1956
In a civil lawsuit, Custodio was accused of having abused a girl at St. Gregory parish in San Mateo from 1960-63. Custodio’s last-known address was in Menlo Park. Custodio’s obituary notes: He entered St. Joseph’s Seminary at the age of 13 and was ordained a priest on June 10, 1956, for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He met his wife in 1973, and they were married in 1975. After moving to Menlo Park, Custodio worked as a high-school Latin teacher at Woodside High School until his retirement in the early 1990s. He served as an active member at the Church of the Nativity parish in Menlo Park, where he served as lector and eucharistic minister. Custodio died July 16, 2021.

Fr. Pearse P. Donovan

Ordained:1943
In 2003, Donovan was accused in a civil lawsuit of molesting a boy beginning in 1978 at St. Clement, and of later passing him on to an abusive Holy Cross brother, Lawrence O'Brien. During this same time, Donovan was being treated for alcoholism at two treatment centers. He served as Superintendent of Schools from 1964-1974. Donovan was removed from ministry/retired in 1983. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese listed Donovan’s name on its roster of credibly accused abusers. His file notes that his known abuses occurred from 1978-1980. Donovan died on Sept. 12, 1986.

Fr. Donald W. Eagleson

Ordained: 1985
In 2002, Eagleson was accused of abuse in 1971 while teaching at Moreau High School in Hayward as a Holy Cross brother. In 1985, Eagleson was ordained for the Diocese of Santa Rosa. In 2002, he was suspended on a new allegation of abuse from 1971; this information was not revealed to parishioners or the public until 2006. In 2005, a partial settlement of a 2004 civil suit was paid. On Oct. 22, 2004, Eagleson died. In 2019, Eagleson’s name appeared on both the Santa Rosa Diocese's and the Oakland Diocese's lists of credibly accused abusers. Eagleson was accused again in lawsuits filed between 2019-2022.

Fr. Joseph A. Ferreira

Ordained: 1959
In November 2006, a woman alleged in a civil lawsuit that she was molested by Ferreira at Our Lady of Good Counsel in San Leandro from 1973-1974 when she was in her teens. The victim claimed that Ferreira continued to harass and stalk her throughout the years. The case settled out of court. In June 2009, a second woman filed suit alleging abuse by Ferreira from 1970-1972 at Our Lady of Good Counsel in San Leandro. In 2019, Ferreira’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese's list of credibly accused abusers. It notes that Ferreira was removed from ministry/retired on Dec. 28, 1998. On Dec. 21, 2014, Ferreira died.

Fr. Patrick Finnegan

Ordained: 1952
In 2019, Finnegan’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese’s list of credibly accused abusers. The Diocese states that Finnegan’s abuse occurred in the 1960s and also in 1973. On Feb. 6, 1974, Finnegan was removed from ministry. On Sept. 28, 1980, Finnegan died.

Fr. George J. Francis

Ordained: 1937
Francis was accused of having raped a 7-year-old girl in 1959. In the early 1990s, his alleged victim filed a lawsuit, and the case settled in 1993. Officials denied any wrongdoing by Francis. In 2002, another civil lawsuit was by a woman, who alleged that Francis abused her age 5-11 from 1979-1982. In January 2004, the case settled for $3 million. In 2002, both victims went public; the Diocese admitted abuse and that there were other victims. There are at least nine known victims abused by Francis. In 2019, Francis’ name appeared on the Oakland Diocese’s list of credibly accused abusers. Francis’s file indicates that he abused minors in the 1960s and 1972. On April 4, 1986, Francis was retired/removed from ministry. On May 4, 1997, Francis died.

Fr. Robert E. Freitas

Ordained: 1972
In 1985, the Oakland Diocese sent Freitas to treatment and placed him on "restricted ministry" after two boys alleged sexual abuse. In 2002, a man told the diocese that Freitas molested him in 1979. Police were notified. The accuser wore a wire during the meeting; Freitas admitted the abuse, and police arrested him. The accuser filed a civil lawsuit against the diocese. Police believe there were at least four more victims from about the same timeframe. In December 2002, Freitas pled guilty and was sentenced to six months’ jail and five years’ probation. in June 2003, he was released from jail following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. In November 2003, the diocese reached a settlement. Four years later, in 2007, Freitas was laicized. In 2019, Freitas’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese’s list of credibly accused abusers. Freitas died November 14, 2011.

Br. Adrian Furman

In 2019, Brother Furman’s name appeared on the Franciscans' Santa Barbara Province list of credibly accused abusers. Allegations of Furman’s sexual abuse of minors were reported in 2002 and 2010, with the abuse occurring from 1959-1965. Furman died in 2003.

Fr. John G. Garcia

Ordained: 1947
 In November 2022, a 34-year-old man, who had served as an altar boy, claimed in a civil lawsuit that Garcia sexually abused him over a two-year period in the late 1990s, beginning when he was 8 years old. At the time in question, Garcia was assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary in Brentwood. The abuse allegedly included rape. In 2001, Garcia retired from the parish after 17 years. In 2003, he died. In a December 2022 civil lawsuit, Garcia was accused of raping a boy, age 12, in the late 1960s, and of telling the boy he would die if he told. Another lawsuit filed the same month alleged abuse by Garcia of a boy in 1974. As of December 2022, there are at least four known accusers.

Fr. William S. Green

Ordained: 1990
In April 1999, police arrested Green, along with five other individuals, for sending sexually explicit messages and pornography to a 14-year-old boy in an internet chatroom. In July 1999, Green pled to two counts of oral copulation and one charge of attempting to send harmful material to a minor. Green was sentenced to two years in prison.

Rev. Thomas Moloney

Ordained: 1943
Originally from Ireland, Moloney entered the San Diego Diocese in 1946. He was a pastor in Southern California until his death in 1986. A civil suit was filed against the Diocese by a man in 2003 alleging that Moloney molested him at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Riverside, CA in 1963. San Diego Diocese released Moloney’s personnel file to the public in 2010.

Rev. Paolino Montagna

Montagna was publicly named as an accused sex abuser by the San Diego Diocese in 2018. He is accused of molesting two girls. Montagna worked in the Diocese for three years (1972-1975). Not much is known about Montagna, he is thought to be deceased.

Rev. Robert Daniel Nikliborc

Ordained:1955
Nikilborc was a priest in the San Diego Diocese from 1955-2001. According to his assignment history, he began working again in 2002 at St. Anne parish in San Diego until he retired for the final time in 2005.

He was sued in in 2005; accused of abusing an 11-year-old boy at Boys Town of the Desert, which was a residential-care facility for troubled/at risk boys located in Banning, CA. Nikilborc was assigned to Boys Town of the Desert from 1957-1969. He spent time at the Servants of the Paraclete, the Catholic Church’s former rehab center for pedophile priests, in Jemez Springs, NM in 1956. He went to jail for 97 days when he was convicted of tax evasion in 1968. Nikilborc died in 2006.

Rev. Daniel Polizzi

Ordained: 1969
Originally ordained in the Santa Rosa Diocese, Polizzi transferred to the Diocese of San Diego in 1970. He was suspended from the priesthood in 1996 after a hospitalized teenager told hospital staff that he had been abused by a priest. The hospital reported this allegation to CPS, the Diocese, and the police. No criminal charges were pursued. The Diocese permanently removed Polizzi from ministry in 1997. Polizzi died in 2003. He is named in both the San Diego and Santa Rosa Dioceses’ list of credibly accused priests.

Rev. Franz Robier

Ordained: 1936
Originally from Austria, Robier began working in the San Diego Diocese in 1955. He spent time at the Servants of the Paraclete, the Catholic Church’s former rehab center for pedophile priests, in Jemez Springs, NM in 1957. Robier died in 1994.

Several civil lawsuits were filed against the Diocese in 2003 regarding sexual misconduct by Robier. A serial abuser, Robier was accused of abuse, including rape, of as many as 24 girls during the late 1950’s- early 1960’s. Claims settled in 2007 as part of a multimillion-dollar settlement against the Diocese. Robier’s personnel file was released to the public by the Diocese in 2010.

Fr. Anthony Rodrigue

Ordained: 1962
One of the most prolific abusers in the Diocese, Rodrigue admitted to sexually abusing 150 children. Rodrigue has a criminal record for molesting boys. He was placed on probation in 1979 when he pleaded no contest in the sexual assault of a boy. Despite being an admitted child abuser, Rodrigue remained a priest until the church removed Rodrigue from the priesthood in 1992.

In 1997, Rodrigue was arrested for the sexual assault of an 11-year-old boy at an apartment complex where the former priest worked as a janitor. Rodrigue pleaded guilty to this and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released from prison in 2006 and died in 2009. Several civil suits filed against the diocese since 2003 by people who were abused by Rodrigue when they were children. Rodrigue is named in the San Diego/ San Bernardino list of credibly accused priests.

Br. Joseph Gutierrez-Cervantes

In 1985, Gutierrez-Cervantes left the De La Salle Order. He worked at the Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma as a counselor. In 1986, Gutierrez-Cervantes was dismissed from there. A 2003 civil lawsuit accused Gutierrez-Cervantes of abusing a boy who was a student at De La Salle High School. In 2004, the plaintiff received a $4 million settlement. In the 2000s, Gutierrez worked as a communications consultant in Sonoma using the name Jesse Gutierrez-Cervantes. In 2019, new allegations of abuse against Gutierrez-Cervantes surfaced, dating back to 1986. In 2019, Gutierrez-Cervantes’s name appeared on the Oakland Diocese's list credibly accused abusers. Gutierrez-Cervantes is named in lawsuits and in an internal Christian Brothers memo. In October 2019, a another De La Salle alumnus filed a civil lawsuit claiming he was drugged and abused by Gutierrez-Cervantes several times from 1968-72.

Fr. Leo A. Hofstee

Ordained: 1935
In 2021, the Dominicans Holy Name Province included Hofstee’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers. Information from the Province notes: "An allegation of an act of abuse was deemed established by the Provincial after consultation with the Province Review Board in 2018." (The list misspells his name "Hoffstee.") Hofstee arrived in the Philippines in 1945, where he spent the rest of his life working among lepers. He died in 1986.

Fr. Domingos S. Jaques

Ordained:1947
In December 2022, a new allegation of abuse was filed against the Oakland Diocese relating to Domingos S. Jacques while he served in San Pablo, CA. His name was not previously listed among the diocese’s list of credibly accused abusers disclosed in 2019. Jaques is from India. In 1947, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Goa. In 1956, he transferred to Angola and arrived in Oakland CA in late 1963. Jaques worked in the East Bay parishes until retiring in 1995. He moved to Fremont and died in 2016. In civil lawsuits filed between 2020-2022, Jaques is accused of child sexual abuse.

Fr. Stephen M. Kiesle

Ordained: 1972
In April 2022, Kiesle was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated by the Contra Costa County District Attorney after allegedly causing the death of 64-year-old California man after he struck the man and his wife walking on the sidewalk.

Fr. Kiesle has a long history of sexually abusing boys and girls. In 1978, he was convicted of lewd conduct for tying up and sexually abusing two boys; sentenced to three years’ probation. He left the priesthood in 1981 and was laicized in 1987. In the mid-1980s, Kiesle served as a volunteer youth minister at St. Joseph's in Pinole, CA. In 2002, Fr. Kiesle was arrested on 13 counts of child molestation; in 2003, all but two charges were dropped due to an expired statute of limitations. In 2004, Fr. Kiesle was sentenced to six years in prison for the abuse of a girl in 1995. He may have abused at least 10 girls. Kiesle said that if the girls said the abuse happened, then he was sure it did. In 2009, he was released from prison, and new civil suits were filed. Kiesle registered as a sex offender, and lived in Walnut Creek, CA. In August 2010, two additional lawsuits with seven accusers were filed. In a 2018 lawsuit filed against the Vatican, Kiesle was accused of abusing a girl from age 11-13 from 1972-74. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Kiesle’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers. In December 2019, a male abuse survivor filed a civil lawsuit alleging Kiesle abused him as from the age of 10-11 in the 1970s. In March 2020, another lawsuit alleged that Kiesle abuse a 5-year-old boy for more than a year in Pinole, CA in 1985. In February 2021, two additional civil lawsuits accused Kiesle of abusing a girl in one case and a boy in the other case, from 1972-75 in Pinole, CA. In January 2022, another civil lawsuit filed against the diocese accused Kiesle of abusing a young boy from 1972-75 in Pinole; Kiesle would give the boy wine, and then molest him. The victim's adult children filed the lawsuit; their father had filed suit in March 2020, but he died a few days later of cirrhosis, and the case was dismissed. In April 2022, police arrested Kiesle and charged him with killing a pedestrian while driving drunk.

Fr. Ronald J. LaGasse

Ordained: 1969
In 1984, police arrested LaGasse on suspicion of molesting a 17-year-old boy at St. Raymond in Dublin. The Oakland Diocese sent LaGasse to treatment, placed him on leave for a year, and then reassigned him. Later, LaGasse became a chaplain in the Army Reserve. LaGasse is last known to have been serving as an abbot of an independent Benedictine monastery in Hawaii. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included LaGasse on its list of credibly accused abusers. On June 14, 2008, the church excommunicated LaGasse.

Fr. Tarcisio D. Lanuevo

Ordained: 1956
In December 1979, the parents of two girls, ages 7 and 2, reported to police that Lanuevo had molested their daughters at St. John the Baptist in San Lorenzo. On April 2, 1985, Lanuevo was incardinated into the Oakland diocese. The girls filed a civil lawsuit in 1993. The lawsuit claimed that Lanuevo’ s pastor had promised their parents that he would receive treatment and never be around children if they dropped the criminal charges. Eventually, the diocese settled the lawsuit. Until 1991, Lanuevo continued to work in the diocese. On July 28, 1992, Lanuevo was removed from ministry. In 1993, he was working at V.A. domiciliary in Portland, OR. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Lanuevo on its list of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Cornelius P. Leehan

Ordained: 1948
Leehan’s name appears on two lists of credibly accused abusers for the Oakland Diocese and the Fresno Diocese.

In December 2003, a civil lawsuit accused Father Cornelius Patrick Leehan – or Pedraig Leehan – of raping a 5-year-old boy at St. Alphonsus Liguori in San Leandro during the late 1950s-early 1960s. Leehan also allegedly fondled the boy again seven years later, after he was reassigned to the parish. Leehan's accuser said he told his father and that his father, a friend of Leehan, told him to tell no one and to never speak about a priest that way. Leehan died in 1997. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Leehan’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers. In August 2021, the Diocese of Fresno added Leehan’s name to its list of abusers, where Leehan worked from 1951-54. Leehan studied at Holy Reedemer College in Oakland, California and St. Clement's College in DeSoto, Missouri. The church ordained Leehan into the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Leehan also worked in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

Juan Macias Lopez

In October 2021, the Dominicans’ Holy Name Province included Lopez’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers. Lopez’s case file notes that he took his religious vows in 1981. In 1988, the Order removed Lopez.

Fr. Gary M. Luiz

Ordained: 1977
From 1980-1985, the Oakland Diocese assigned Luiz to St. Barnabas in Alameda and St. Edward's in Newark, California. In the early 2000s, a civil lawsuit accused Luiz of abusing a boy at St. Edward's from 1980-86. The boy's parents said they complained to St. Edward's pastor in 1984, but Newark church officials said they did not learn of the abuse until about 1990, and that they placed him immediately on leave. Luiz earned a canon law degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in 1993. He was reportedly sent to a Berkeley, CA monastery in 1995. Per the 2017 Official Catholic Directory, Luiz was working as a canon lawyer in the Diocese of Reno, Nevada. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Luiz on its list of credibly accused abusers.

Sr. Mary Rosella McConnell

In a recent civil lawsuit, plaintiff’s attorneys alleged that McConnell sexually abused a female high-school student, from age 15-16 from September 1969 to June 1971. From 1967-1979, McConnell served as vice-principal of Presentation High School in Berkeley, California. The abused girl was a student. McConnell’s teaching career spanned 30 years, including 14 years at St. Christopher School in San Jose, as well as Presentation schools in Berkeley, San Francisco, San Jose, San Lorenzo, Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Los Angeles, and San Pedro.

Fr. John T. McCracken

Ordained: 1944
Throughout his career, McCracken served as a monsignor, parish priest, pastor, and director of Catholic Social Services/Charities. In 2021, a civil lawsuit accused McCracken of raping a boy during 1972-74. The boy served as an altar boy and was in grades 4 and 5 at Queen of All Saints in Concord when the abuse allegedly occurred. The boy kept diaries at the time in which he repeated "God is doing this to me" and "God hates me." Medical records show McCraken’s victim was treated for rectal bleeding at age 11. McCracken died Feb. 1, 2012.

Fr. Michael J. McGinty

Ordained: 1931
A 2022 civil lawsuit accused McGinty of sexually abusing and physically abusing a boy, age 8 or 9, decades prior. McGinty died in 1996.

Br. Bede McKinnon

In 2019, the Franciscans' Santa Barbara Province included McKinnon’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers. In 2010, the province received an allegation of a sexual abuse of a minor from 1978-79; at the time of the alleged abuse, McKinnon was assigned to St. Elizabeth's in Oakland. In 1966, McKinnon entered the Order of Friars Minor also known as Franciscans. In 1998, McKinnon died. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included McKinnon on its list of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Daniel McLeod

Ordained: 1970
In 2019, the Oakland Diocese McLeod on its list of credibly accused abusers. McLeod was incardinated into the diocese on April 16, 1970. McLeod’s file notes that his alleged abuse occurred in 1969. The diocese removed/retired McLeod on Jan. 18, 1987. McCleod died on Dec. 17, 2001.

Fr. Hector David Mendoza Vela

Ordained: 2013
From El Salvador, Vela arrived in the U.S. in 2008. In March 2019, he was serving as Pastor of Corpus Christi in Fremont, California when arrested. Police accused Vela of sexually abusing a boy, age 14 or 15, over 18 months from 2016-17. The Oakland Diocese placed Vela on administrative leave. In July 2019, Vela pleaded not guilty to 30 criminal counts. In August 2019, he pleaded no contest to five counts in a plea agreement. On Sept. 27, 2019, the court sentenced Vela to 4 years and 8 months in prison. Church officials initiated a Canonical process. In May 2020, a victim who filed suit alleged that Vela also molested his brother. As of June 2022, the Oakland Diocese included Vela’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Joaquin Moreno

Ordained: 1981
In 2019, both the Oakland Diocese and the Franciscans' Santa Barbara Province included Moreno’s name on their lists of credibly accused abusers. In 1996, Moreno faced an allegation of sexually abusing a minor. In 2008, Moreno left the Order. In 2020, the Stockton Diocese added Moreno’s name to its list of abusers, noting that Moreno served there from 1991-92. In 2010, Moreno was laicized.

Rev. Thomas Moloney

Ordained: 1943
Originally from Ireland, Moloney entered the San Diego Diocese in 1946. He was a pastor in Southern California until his death in 1986. A civil suit was filed against the Diocese by a man in 2003 alleging that Moloney molested him at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Riverside, CA in 1963. San Diego Diocese released Moloney’s personnel file to the public in 2010.

Rev. Paolino Montagna

Montagna was publicly named as an accused sex abuser by the San Diego Diocese in 2018. He is accused of molesting two girls. Montagna worked in the Diocese for three years (1972-1975). Not much is known about Montagna, he is thought to be deceased.

Rev. Robert Daniel Nikliborc

Ordained:1955
Nikilborc was a priest in the San Diego Diocese from 1955-2001. According to his assignment history, he began working again in 2002 at St. Anne parish in San Diego until he retired for the final time in 2005.

He was sued in in 2005; accused of abusing an 11-year-old boy at Boys Town of the Desert, which was a residential-care facility for troubled/at risk boys located in Banning, CA. Nikilborc was assigned to Boys Town of the Desert from 1957-1969. He spent time at the Servants of the Paraclete, the Catholic Church’s former rehab center for pedophile priests, in Jemez Springs, NM in 1956. He went to jail for 97 days when he was convicted of tax evasion in 1968. Nikilborc died in 2006.

Rev. Daniel Polizzi

Ordained: 1969
Originally ordained in the Santa Rosa Diocese, Polizzi transferred to the Diocese of San Diego in 1970. He was suspended from the priesthood in 1996 after a hospitalized teenager told hospital staff that he had been abused by a priest. The hospital reported this allegation to CPS, the Diocese, and the police. No criminal charges were pursued. The Diocese permanently removed Polizzi from ministry in 1997. Polizzi died in 2003. He is named in both the San Diego and Santa Rosa Dioceses’ list of credibly accused priests.

Rev. Franz Robier

Ordained: 1936
Originally from Austria, Robier began working in the San Diego Diocese in 1955. He spent time at the Servants of the Paraclete, the Catholic Church’s former rehab center for pedophile priests, in Jemez Springs, NM in 1957. Robier died in 1994.

Several civil lawsuits were filed against the Diocese in 2003 regarding sexual misconduct by Robier. A serial abuser, Robier was accused of abuse, including rape, of as many as 24 girls during the late 1950’s- early 1960’s. Claims settled in 2007 as part of a multimillion-dollar settlement against the Diocese. Robier’s personnel file was released to the public by the Diocese in 2010.

Fr. Anthony Rodrigue

Ordained: 1962
One of the most prolific abusers in the Diocese, Rodrigue admitted to sexually abusing 150 children. Rodrigue has a criminal record for molesting boys. He was placed on probation in 1979 when he pleaded no contest in the sexual assault of a boy. Despite being an admitted child abuser, Rodrigue remained a priest until the church removed Rodrigue from the priesthood in 1992.

In 1997, Rodrigue was arrested for the sexual assault of an 11-year-old boy at an apartment complex where the former priest worked as a janitor. Rodrigue pleaded guilty to this and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released from prison in 2006 and died in 2009. Several civil suits filed against the diocese since 2003 by people who were abused by Rodrigue when they were children. Rodrigue is named in the San Diego/ San Bernardino list of credibly accused priests.

Br. Lawrence O’Brien

A 2003 civil lawsuit accused of sexually abusing one youth at Hayward's Moreau High School in Hayward in the 1970s and 1980s. In August 2020, O’Brien died.

Fr. William Odom-Green

Ordained: 1991
In 1991, Odom-Green was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Owensboro, KY. From 1997-1999, he served the Oakland Diocese. In April 1999, the Oakland Diocese removed Odom-Green’s faculties, meaning Odom-Green was no longer be able to serve as a parish priest, celebrate mass or wear a clerical collar in public. Odom-Green was convicted of sexual abuse and sent to prison. Both the Oakland Diocese and the Owensboro Diocese in Kentucky added Odom-Green’s name to their lists of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Robert F. Ponciroli

Ordained: 1969
In 1995, the Oakland Diocese removed Ponciroli from ministry and sent him to therapy due to an allegation of sexual abuse. In August 2002, a civil lawsuit accused Ponciroli of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy in Antioch, California in 1975. In February 2003, police arrested Ponciroli for sexually abusing two brothers. In June 2003, the prosecutor dropped criminal charges. In March 2003, the two brothers filed a civil lawsuit, and in April 2005, the two victims received a $2 million verdict. Per the plaintiff’s attorney, there are at least seven other known victims. Ponciroli admitted he was a sex addict. In 2005, church officials laicized Ponciroli. On Jan. 19, 2009, Ponciroli died. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Ponciroli’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Jesus Garcia Prieto

Ordained: 1926
In 2022, a civil lawsuit accused Prieto of sexually assaulting a Catholic elementary school student in Oakland approximately 100 times in the 1960s. Prieto groomed his victim by showing the boy Playboy magazines and having him drink wine.

Fr. James E. Prindeville

In 1952, the year Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd High School opened, the Rev. James Prindeville began molesting a 16-year-old girl at the school from 1952-1953, according to a 2003 lawsuit filed against the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which ran parishes in Alameda and Contra Costa counties until the Diocese of Oakland was formed in 1962. Prindeville denied the accusation. Prindeville left the priesthood in 1962, married and lived in San Jose. He died in 2004 at age 85.

Br. Benedict Reams

In 1939, Benedict made his final vows as a De La Salle Christian Brother. From 1936-1946, Benedict taught at Mont La Salle in Napa, then from 1946 until his retirement in 1969, Benedict taught at St. Mary's College in Moraga. Benedict continued at St. Mary's assisting in physics classes and also operated a weather station throughout his time there. He played organ at St. Mary's college chapel and at St. Monica's Parish in Moraga. In 1994, Benedict died in Napa. Lawsuits filed from 2020-2022 accuse Benedict of sexually abusing minors. Note: Brother Benedict’s given name was Joseph Ambrose Reams; his religious name was Ultanian Benedict Reams.

Fr. Arthur A. Ribeiro

Ordained: 1950
In 1982, the Oakland Diocese placed Ribeiro on sick leave. On Jan. 1, 1992, the diocese retired Ribeiro from the ministry. In 1996, two priests confronted Ribeiro about his sexual misconduct. In 2003, three men filed civil lawsuits alleging Ribeiro sexually abused them in 1960s at All Saints in Concord. Per a July 2004 article, four plaintiffs were named in two lawsuits. One plaintiff said he told his pastor during confession within two weeks of abuse and that Ribeiro was then transferred and promoted. On Oct. 18, 2000, Ribeiro died. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Ribeiro’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Anthony P. Slane

Ordained: 1942
Slane’s name appears on several lists of credibly accused abusers, including Docese of Oakland, the Diocese of Fresno and the Archdiocese of Seattle. Slane was named in a lawsuit as having abused a minor at St. Alphonsus Liguori in San Leandro, California. Slane also worked in the Seattle Archdiocese, from 1981-1988 at Our Lady of Good Help in Hoquiam and from 1988-2002 at Sacred Heart in Seattle. In April 2010, Slane died at age 94 at St. Clement Health Care Center in Liguori, Missouri. In 2016, the Seattle Archdiocese included Slane’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese added Slane’s name to its list of abusers, and in 2021, the Diocese of Fresno added his name to its list of abusers, noting that he was accused of abuse while he was assigned to St. Alphonsus from 1954-1957.

Fr. Gary B. Tollner

Ordained: 1961
In February 2004, Bishop Vigneron publicly apologized to the parish community of St. Philip Neri, Alameda, CA for Tollner’s abuse. In 1982, Tollner's sister accused him of molesting his special needs nephew, age 22, who had the mental age of 12. Parishioners spoke of "suspicious behavior" involving young boys, alcohol and drugs in the hot tub Tollner had installed on the rectory roof. Tollner reportedly abused six children. One alleged victim is said to have become an addict by age 12 and died by suicide years later, citing abuse by Tollner in his suicide note. In 1995, the Oakland Diocese removed Tollner from ministry. In February 2004, Bishop Vigneron publicly apologized to the parish community of St. Philip Neri, Alameda for Tollner’s conduct. On Feb. 17, 1999, Tollner died. The Oakland Diocese included Tollner’s name on its list of accused abusers. Tollner is accused of abusing from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Fr. Ramon Varela

Ordained: 1949
Varela’s name appears on multiple lists of accused abusers, including: Franciscans’ Santa Barbara Province, Oakland Diocese, Stockton Diocese and Fresno Diocese. In 1994, church officials received allegations that Varela sexually abused from 1949-79. Varela's first assignment was in 1949, in AZ. He died in 2002. In 2019, both the Oakland Diocese and the Franciscans' Santa Barbara Province included Varela’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers. In 2020, the Stockton Diocese added Varela’s name to its list of abusers; Varela worked for the Stockton Diocese from 1955-60. In 2021, the Fresno Diocese added Varela’s name to its list of abusers; Varela worked for the Fresno Diocese from 1968-1970. Varela was living in New Mexico until his death in 2002, per a Franciscan Friars of the Province of Saint Barbara report.

Br. John Vas

Ordained: 2003
In February 2008, a woman alleged Vas molested her for nearly seven years, beginning in the 1960s when she was age seven. Vas was a Salesian brother and the band instructor at Salesian High School, where the girl's brother was a student. For many years, Vas lived with his wife in Florida. This is reportedly the second public accusation against Vas. It is unknown when he left the Salesian Order. Vas’s obituary indicates that he died Sept. 18, 2019, had earned a doctorate in philosophy and letters, worked as a banking officer for many years and was a member of Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Bartow, Florida.

Br. Francis Verngren

Ordained: 1936
In 2019, Verngren’s name appeared on both Santa Rosa Diocese’s and Oakland Diocese’s lists of credibly accused abusers. In May 2003, a man filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Verngren abused him from 1966-70, when Verngren was principal and head dorm resident at a Catholic school in Berkeley. The plaintiff said he told another staff member in 1969, Verngren was temporarily removed but later returned to his position. In September 2003, the lawsuit was settled. On Dec. 12, 2003, Verngren died. In 2019, both the Santa Rosa Diocese and the Oakland Diocese included Verngren’s name on their list of credibly accused abusers. Verngren worked at Mont LaSalle in Napa from 1969-84 and at Justin Siena High School in Napa in 1984. Verngren worked as a math tutor at St. Apollinaris in Napa from 1990-2002.

Fr. Stephen Whelan

Ordained: 1969
In 2003, a man alleged in a civil lawsuit that Whelan abused him and raped him while he was a student at Salesian High School from the 1969 through the early 1970s. Whelan's accuser said Bro. Sal Billante witnessed the abuse and said nothing, that he told a counselor and was then chastised and threatened by the school principal. Also, the plaintiff alleged that school administrator Rev. David Purdy tried to get him to commit suicide. In August 2005, Whelan was still active. On July 7, 2006, the civil trial started, and on July 19, 2006, a jury awarded the plaintiff $600,000. The Oakland Diocese removed Whelan from his position after the verdict, and he resided at the provincial house. In August 2008, a California appeals court upheld the verdict. Whelan was removed from ministry. In 1997, Whalen worked as the editor of the Salesian Bulletin. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Whalen’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers.

Fr. Gordon Wilcox

Ordained: 1955
Named in a 2004 suit against Rev. Donald Eagleson, which was partially settled in 2005. Wilcox was named as an abuser of a male student in 1971 at Moreau High School in Hayward. Died 10/4/84. On the Oakland diocese's list in 2019. On the Congregation of Holy Cross list 6/12/19. It notes multiple allegations in 2003 and 2012 of abuse in CA in the 1970s. Suit filed in 11/19 by man claiming abuse in the 1970s as a Moreau Catholic High student, by both Wilcox and Br. John Moriarty.

Br. Terrence D. Wong

Ordained: 1936
In 2019, Verngren’s name appeared on both Santa Rosa Diocese’s and Oakland Diocese’s lists of credibly accused abusers. In May 2003, a man filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Verngren abused him from 1966-70, when Verngren was principal and head dorm resident at a Catholic school in Berkeley. The plaintiff said he told another staff member in 1969, Verngren was temporarily removed but later returned to his position. In September 2003, the lawsuit was settled. On Dec. 12, 2003, Verngren died. In 2019, both the Santa Rosa Diocese and the Oakland Diocese included Verngren’s name on their list of credibly accused abusers. Verngren worked at Mont LaSalle in Napa from 1969-84 and at Justin Siena High School in Napa in 1984. Verngren worked as a math tutor at St. Apollinaris in Napa from 1990-2002.

In 1958, Wong professed his vows as a Marianist brother, Province of the Pacific. In 1989, he left the Order. A civil suit accused Wong of sexual abuse from 1967-1970 when he worked at St. Joseph High School in Alameda. On April 19, 1997, Wong died. In 2019, the Oakland Diocese included Wong’s name on its list of credibly accused abusers, and in 2020, the Marianists included his name among accused abusers, as well.

Rev. Thomas Moloney

Ordained: 1943
Originally from Ireland, Moloney entered the San Diego Diocese in 1946. He was a pastor in Southern California until his death in 1986. A civil suit was filed against the Diocese by a man in 2003 alleging that Moloney molested him at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Riverside, CA in 1963. San Diego Diocese released Moloney’s personnel file to the public in 2010.

Rev. Paolino Montagna

Montagna was publicly named as an accused sex abuser by the San Diego Diocese in 2018. He is accused of molesting two girls. Montagna worked in the Diocese for three years (1972-1975). Not much is known about Montagna, he is thought to be deceased.

Rev. Robert Daniel Nikliborc

Ordained:1955
Nikilborc was a priest in the San Diego Diocese from 1955-2001. According to his assignment history, he began working again in 2002 at St. Anne parish in San Diego until he retired for the final time in 2005.

He was sued in in 2005; accused of abusing an 11-year-old boy at Boys Town of the Desert, which was a residential-care facility for troubled/at risk boys located in Banning, CA. Nikilborc was assigned to Boys Town of the Desert from 1957-1969. He spent time at the Servants of the Paraclete, the Catholic Church’s former rehab center for pedophile priests, in Jemez Springs, NM in 1956. He went to jail for 97 days when he was convicted of tax evasion in 1968. Nikilborc died in 2006.

Rev. Daniel Polizzi

Ordained: 1969
Originally ordained in the Santa Rosa Diocese, Polizzi transferred to the Diocese of San Diego in 1970. He was suspended from the priesthood in 1996 after a hospitalized teenager told hospital staff that he had been abused by a priest. The hospital reported this allegation to CPS, the Diocese, and the police. No criminal charges were pursued. The Diocese permanently removed Polizzi from ministry in 1997. Polizzi died in 2003. He is named in both the San Diego and Santa Rosa Dioceses’ list of credibly accused priests.

Rev. Franz Robier

Ordained: 1936
Originally from Austria, Robier began working in the San Diego Diocese in 1955. He spent time at the Servants of the Paraclete, the Catholic Church’s former rehab center for pedophile priests, in Jemez Springs, NM in 1957. Robier died in 1994.

Several civil lawsuits were filed against the Diocese in 2003 regarding sexual misconduct by Robier. A serial abuser, Robier was accused of abuse, including rape, of as many as 24 girls during the late 1950’s- early 1960’s. Claims settled in 2007 as part of a multimillion-dollar settlement against the Diocese. Robier’s personnel file was released to the public by the Diocese in 2010.

Fr. Anthony Rodrigue

Ordained: 1962
One of the most prolific abusers in the Diocese, Rodrigue admitted to sexually abusing 150 children. Rodrigue has a criminal record for molesting boys. He was placed on probation in 1979 when he pleaded no contest in the sexual assault of a boy. Despite being an admitted child abuser, Rodrigue remained a priest until the church removed Rodrigue from the priesthood in 1992.

In 1997, Rodrigue was arrested for the sexual assault of an 11-year-old boy at an apartment complex where the former priest worked as a janitor. Rodrigue pleaded guilty to this and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released from prison in 2006 and died in 2009. Several civil suits filed against the diocese since 2003 by people who were abused by Rodrigue when they were children. Rodrigue is named in the San Diego/ San Bernardino list of credibly accused priests.