KC Priest Sex Scandal: Change of Plea Hearing Set August 1, 2012

A change of plea hearing was scheduled Thursday in federal court for a Kansas City Catholic priest accused in a child pornography case.

The Rev. Shawn Ratigan was charged last year with 13 federal child pornography counts and three in Clay County after a computer technician discovered hundreds of troubling images on the 46-year-old priest’s laptop in December 2010.

He pleaded not guilty, but a plea hearing was scheduled Thursday at 2 p.m.

Jackson County prosecutors charged Bishop Robert Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph with failing to report suspected child abuse to the state, a misdemeanor.

Prosecutor Asks to Have Finn Case Split, Wants to Add Another Count, Asks for Broad Document Search Dating Back Years May 7, 2012

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker is asking changes in the misdemeanor charge against Kansas City Catholic Bishop Robert Finn.
He is facing one count of failing to report suspected child abuse in the case against one of Finn’s priests, Fr,. Shawn Ratigan. Ratigan is facing state and federal child abuse counts.
Baker’s office wants the one against Finn count split into two, covering different time periods.
Now the case centers around activity from December 17,2010 to May 18, 20110.
Baker wants that time divided.
If granted, one charge would cover the period from December 2010 to February 10, 2011. The second charge would cover time from February 11 through May 18, 2011.
The prosecutor’s office is also making the same request on the charges facing the Kansas City catholic Diocese, which is also facing similar charges.
In a news release Baker is quoted as saying “This is the best approach going into trial”.
Finn’s trial is set for September 24, 2012.
Baker’s office has also filed a request for discovery to look at church documents that may be involved in the case.
It is a wide-ranging request.
Prosecutors want information and any and all document dealing with potential child abuse problems in the Diocese dating back to May, 2004. That is years before the Ratigan scandal emerged.
Included in their request any “secret archive files established under Canon 489 or any other rule, doctrine or code under civil or canon authority”.
prosecutor also want detailed charts of the Diocese’s organization and the personnel records of several people believed to be past or present church employees.
A constant critic of the catholic Chuerch, Survivor’s network for those Abuses by Priests (SNAP) says the people named in the discovery request are priests who have had problems in the past.
“We also applaud Baker for seeking more information on these credibly accused pedophile priests: Fr. John Basket, Fr. Thomas Cronin, Fr. Mark Honhart, Fr. Earl Johnson, Fr. James Lawbaugh, Fr. Stephen Muth, Fr. Thomas Parrott, Fr. Bede Parry, Fr. Michael Tierney and Fr. Anthony Pileggi,” said SNAP’s Outreach Director Barbara Dorris

KC Diocese Names Head of Child Protection Dept. December 1, 2011

The KC Star reports:

A former manager who once led a team of financial advisers will serve as director of the new department of child and youth protection for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, church officials announced Wednesday.

Carrie Cooper, who had previously worked for American Century Investments, will lead an existing team that includes the diocese’s safe environment coordinator, ombudsman and victim’s advocate.

Among her duties, Cooper will create educational programs for diocesan parishes and schools; make sure that clergy, diocesan employees and church volunteers submit to background checks; and investigate and report to authorities any allegations of suspicious or inappropriate behavior or sexual misconduct by clergy, church staff and volunteers.

“Carrie Cooper will be the point person for the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in our diocese,” said Bishop Robert Finn in a statement. “She brings an extraordinary wealth of experience and a complete commitment to the protection of children.”

The charter was adopted in 2002 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and outlines diocesan efforts to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse within the church.

The creation of the child protection department was announced in early November when Finn entered into a five-year diversion program with the Clay County prosecutor. The agreement enabled Finn to avoid a possible criminal misdemeanor indictment in his handling of a priest accused of child possessing child pornography. Finn is required to meet each month with the Clay County prosecutor.

Finn also is facing a misdemeanor charge in Jackson County of failing to report child abuse suspicions. He has pleaded not guilty.

The priest, the Rev. Shawn F. Ratigan, was indicted by a Clay County grand jury in August on three counts of possessing child pornography.

Rebecca Summers, spokeswoman for the diocese, said the diocese posted the director’s position in mid-October. A search committee interviewed candidates and recommended that Cooper be appointed, she said.

Cooper, a graduate of Missouri State University, was manager of the investor center at American Century and had oversight on a range of federal securities compliance matters. She also is involved in church and civic organizations and is a volunteer at her children’s school.

“I am ready to begin and hopeful to not only develop an iron-clad model of compliance with diocesan policies but also to foster a strong culture where the safety of each child is guarded throughout our community,” Cooper said in a statement.
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/30/3294517/diocese-hires-director-of-child.html#ixzz1fHjKRxWh

Diocese Refers Ratigan to Psychiatrist With Ties to Priest Support Group November 17, 2011

The KC Star reports, a Pennsylvania psychiatrist whose evaluation led Bishop Robert Finn to keep the Rev. Shawn Ratigan in ministry is an adviser to a group that supports priests accused of sexual abuse.

Richard Fitzgibbons, who examined Ratigan in January after disturbing photographs of children were found on the priest’s computer, is an adviser to , , according to the group’s website. The nonprofit organization provides services to accused and imprisoned priests, including financial, legal and emotional support.

After his evaluation, Fitzgibbons told Finn that Ratigan was not a pedophile and that his pornography problem was a result of loneliness and depression, according to a report commissioned by the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese.

Finn relied on Fitzgibbons’ opinion in his decision to send Ratigan to a Vincentian mission house in Independence, where he remained a priest and allegedly continued to take lewd photographs of children, the report said.

Ratigan now faces child pornography charges in Clay County and federal court.

News of Fitzgibbons’ connection to Opus Bono Sacerdotii — whose name means “work for the good of the priesthood” — stunned the attorney who represents several of Ratigan’s alleged victims.

“This is one more incident that seems to show that the diocese is more interested in protecting its own … than in a true search for the truth and ferreting out those who might be causing harm to children,” said Rebecca Randles. “It’s very, very disheartening.”

On Wednesday, Randles filed a fourth civil lawsuit against Ratigan, alleging that he used his cellphone to surreptitiously take pictures of a 10-year-old Northland girl on multiple occasions earlier this year.

Ratigan contacted the girl on Facebook weeks after Fitzgibbons treated him, according to the lawsuit filed in Clay County Circuit Court by the girl and her parents. The family — unaware of Ratigan’s troubling behavior and restrictions placed on him by Finn — invited Ratigan into their home numerous times, the suit says.

Responding to the suit, diocesan officials issued a statement: “The diocese would like to directly say to the parents of this child, ‘Our concern is for you, your daughter, and your family. We condemn the disturbing and destructive behaviors attributed to Shawn Ratigan.’ ”

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/16/3270664/psychiatrist-who-examined-ratigan.html#ixzz1dy6eIgpG

KC Catholic Bishop Finn Enters Oversight Deal with Clay County Prosecutor, Deal May be Step to Avoid Indictment November 15, 2011

Kansas City Catholic Bishop Robert Finn has entered into an arrangement with Clay County Prosecutor Dan White for the prosecutor’s office to oversee any potential cases of abuse in the county’s catholic churches or institutions.

The arrangement appears to be part of a compromise. A compromise that allows Bishop Finn to avoid a second grand jury indictment.

A statement from White’s office says he has been given “unprecedented authority” to review the diocese’s response in how it handles future  ” any case or complaint” of abuse of children for the next 5 years.

White’s office says Bishop Finn agreement  is part of a compliance agreement. The documents say, “Bishop Robert Finn–while acknowledging he could personally could face misdemeanor charges regarding his handling of defendant Father Shawn Ratigan”, agreed to the prosecutorial oversight.

That review will be in place for 5 years, says White’s office. Failure to live up to the arrangement could reactivate the misdemeanor charge.

“This agreement provides us a structure to maintain an open dialogue about any and all issues of abuse of minors within the catholic parishes and institutions in Clay County”, said the Bishop in a Tuesday statement.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to resolve this matter”, Finn added.

As part of the deal, Bishop Finn is required to report to White directly each month on “any or all  report suspicious or alleged abuse activities involving minors ”  in any of the Diocese’s Clay County facilities.

The Survivor’s Network for Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) says they’re disappointed in the deal.

“We’re also disappointed because Finn has now done here what bishops have almost always done – make any promises, payment or plea deal to avoid having to face tough questions in open court about their disgraceful and irresponsible deception,” SNAP’s leaders said in a  sttatemment. 

Finn says “very soon”, he will appoint a “Director of Child and Youth Protection”, to coordinate the work of other diocesan officials who are assigned to protect children and investigate complaints.

Also today, the legal problems of Fr. Shawn Ratigan grew.

White office says Ratigan was indicted on three counts of possession of child pornography on his computer.

The indictment supersedes a criminal complaint filed against Ratigan on similar charges on May 19, 2011.

Ratigan is also facing similar charges in federal court.

His case, and the handling of it by the diocese,  has rocked the Kansas City Catholic Church.

Some Catholics have called for  Finn to step down as Bishop. It has led to the Church’s reform of its process in handling complaints.

The Church commissioned an independent report that said the Diocese did not follow its own procedures in Ratigan’s case.

After that report was released, Finn was indicted on a misdemeanor charge by a Jackson County, Missouri Grand Jury for how he handled the first reports of Ratigan’s problems.

The diocese entered into a settlement a few years ago, promising to report any suspected child abuse problems by its priests or employees immediately to state authorities.

The church-commissioned report indicates the church leaders knew about the potential problems with Ratigan in December of 2010.

The report, led by former US Attorney Todd Graves, states neither the Missouri Division of Family Services , nor the church’s Independent Review Board was notified immediately about the sexually graphic images found on Ratigan’s computer in December 2010.