The Worthy Adversary

Tag: Oliver O’Grady

  • Convicted priest Oliver O’Grady/Stockton Diocese named in new abuse suit

    Many California victims born after 1977 still may have legal rights to expose abuse, get justice and keep kids safe right now.


    Convicted priest named in new sex abuse lawsuit

    Young girl was molested in San Andreas CA parish

    She is the latest of former cleric’s dozens of victims

    Deported from US, he’s now in Irish prison for child porn

    “Come forward and report abuse,” victims’ group begs

    Anyone born after 1977 still has legal rights, they say

    Another alleged victim of a notorious Stockton Catholic predator priest, who was convicted of and deported for child sex crimes, has filed a sex abuse and cover-up lawsuit in San Joaquin County Superior Court.

    The woman, Jane Doe 51, charges that she was sexually abused by ex-cleric Oliver O’Grady in 1991-1992, when she was 11 and 12 years old. According to the suit, the abuse took place at St. Andrew’s parish in San Andreas.

    Members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, think that this may not be the last O’Grady victim to come forward.

    “How many more O’Grady victims are suffering in silence?” said Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP’s volunteer Western Regional Director. “O’Grady destroyed children across Stockton, yet his bosses did little to protect children – and even less to help victims. I fear there may be many more victims who don’t know they have rights to seek justice.”

    According to California law, victims of child sexual abuse born after January 1, 1977, have the right to use the civil courts to seek justice and accountability. Last month, the California Court of Appeals also found that the Catholic church used church-paid counseling to possibly deceive victims about their civil rights. Many of those victims may also be able to use the civil courts to seek justice.

    “The tried-and-true civil justice system does work for many victims,” said Casteix. “Civil courts have enabled victims to expose predators, unearthed hidden evidence and shed light on sex abuse and cover-up in the church and other institutions. By coming forward, victims can help keep kids safe right now.”

    In 1993, O’Grady was convicted of four counts of “lewd and lascivious acts” against two boys from Turlock, where O’Grady worked before San Andreas. Despite a 14-year sentence at Mule Creek State Prison, O’Grady was released after only seven years and deported to Ireland.  In 1998, the two boys, Joh (Note: this is correct spellling) and James Howard, won a $30 million verdict against the Stockton Diocese. The jury in the case agreed that Stockton Diocese officials, including former bishop -now retired cardinal-Roger Mahony knew about O’Grady’s actions and did little to nothing to protect the boys.

    O’Grady was the subject of the 2006 Oscar-nominated documentary Deliver Us From Evil. In the film, he admits to molesting dozens of children and writes apology letters to some of them.

    O’Grady is currently in an Irish prison serving a three-year sentence for child pornography.

    This is the second O’Grady sex abuse lawsuit filed against the Diocese of Stockton this year. In May, a 25-year-old man reported that O’Grady abused him at St. Andrews, the same parish where Jane Doe was abused.

    Earlier this year, another sex abuse lawsuit against the Diocese and Stockton priest Fr. Michael Kelly went to trial in April. After a jury unanimously found Kelly civilly guilty of the abuse, Kelly fled to Ireland. The case later settled for $3.75 million. A second case against Kelly was filed last week.

    The victim is represented by Sacramento attorney and licensed psychologist Dr. Joseph George (916) 641-7300. The case number is 39-2012-00284844-CU-NP-ST

     

  • More Trouble for Stockton: Oliver O’Grady Re-emerges

    

    Oliver O’Grady is like a cockroach: He will never, never, ever go away.

    A new Oliver O’Grady victim has come forward and filed a lawsuit against the notorious predator and the Diocese of Stockton. SNAP will have a press conference tomorrow to release details. On the heels of the Michael Kelly verdict, this is very, very disturbing news. I have yet to see any kind of apology from the diocese for either Kelly’s actions or the horrific legal hardball tactics that the diocese employed in an attempt to scare the victim into dropping his suit.

    O’Grady is currently serving a three-year prison sentence in Ireland for possession of child abuse images (child porn).

    Here is the press release:

     

    NEWS EVENT: Victims announce new lawsuit against notorious Stockton priest

    Child was abused after cleric admitted crimes to church officials & police

    Convicted in Stockton, O’Grady is now in Irish prison for child porn

    He worked at same parishes as Stockton priest recently found liable for abuse

    SNAP believes there may be more victims scared by diocese’s legal hardball

    What: Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, victims of child sex abuse and their supporters will announce a new lawsuit against notorious child molesting priest Oliver O’Grady and the Diocese of Stockton.  The lawsuit says:

    • O’Grady molested the victim after the cleric already admitted to abusing kids,
    • Stockton church officials knew O’Grady was a predator before the victim in this case was born, and
    • Catholic church officials covered up O’Grady’s crimes and silenced victims.

    Victims will also:

    • Show how O’Grady shared assignments with Fr. Michael Kelly, who fled to Ireland after a jury unanimously said Kelly was liable for child sex abuse.
    • Urge Stockton Bishop Blaire to reach out to other potential victims of O’Grady and Fr. Michael Kelly,
    • Beg Stockton church officials to stop cruel, hardball legal tactics against victims, and
    • Ask local law enforcement to continue criminal investigations against molesting clerics and their protectors.

    Where: Outside of the Stockton Diocese Headquarters, 212 North San Joaquin Street (at Channel) in Stockton

    When: Wednesday, May 2, at 1pm

    Who: Three-to-four victims of child sex abuse and their supporters who are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPNetwork.org). They will be joined by a former priest and monk—now advocate for victims—who is an expert on O’Grady.

    Why: This week in San Joaquin Superior Court, a 25-year-old victim of convicted serial predator Oliver O’Grady filed a child sex abuse and cover-up lawsuit against the Diocese of Stockton. The lawsuit says that the former priest molested the boy when the victim was five and six years old. During the time, O’Grady was assigned to St. Andrews in San Andreas and St. Anthony’s in Hughson, California.

    The victim was molested in 1992, just before O’Grady was arrested in Calaveras County. According to press reports and court documents, Stockton Diocese officials knew that O’Grady was a direct risk to kids as early as 1976. Police investigated other allegations against O’Grady in 1984, when O’Grady admitted to a mental health practitioner that he had molested children. Instead of removing O’Grady from ministry, then-bishop Cardinal Roger Mahony reassigned O’Grady to St. Andrews parish. The victim in this case was born in 1987, three years after church officials had direct knowledge that O’Grady was a child molester. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/ma-bos/settlements/SettlementStocktonOGrady.html

    O’Grady was convicted in 1993 of four counts of lewd and lascivious acts against two minors. In 1998, the two victims in the case won a $30 million settlement against the diocese. O’Grady was paroled in 2000 and deported to Ireland.

    In January 2012, O’Grady was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of child pornography, after law enforcement discovered the images on O’Grady’s computer and USB drive. According to press reports, the images were of victims as young as two.  http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0131/1224311002517.html

    O’Grady was the subject of the 2006 Academy Award nominated documentary “Deliver Us From Evil,” in which O’Grady admitted to molesting at least two dozen children. The actual number is believed to be closer to 100 http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2008/11_12/2008_11_20_Smith_AbuseSuit.htm.

    Before O’Grady’s latest arrest, he was discovered volunteering with children in a church in The Netherlands and working in a McDonald’s, where he coordinated children’s birthday parties.

    Last month, a jury voted unanimously that another Stockton priest, Fr. Michael Kelly, was liable for molesting retired Air Force pilot Travis Trotter. http://www.modbee.com/2012/04/20/2166315/stockton-diocese-settles-with.html After the verdict, Kelly fled to Ireland.  The Stockton Diocese finally settled the case for $3.75 million.  To date, they have not apologized to Travis or acknowledged Kelly’s civil crimes.

    According to church records, Kelly and O’Grady, who were both from Ireland, worked in many of the same parishes at different times, including Our Lady of Fatima, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Andrews, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Joachim’s http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/O’Grady_Oliver_Francis.htm#shorthand. SNAP believes there may be many more victims of both men who have been shamed into secrecy and silence.

    The victim in this case is represented by Sacramento attorney Dr. Joe George (916) 641-7300, joe@psyclaw.com