A 19-year-old man has sued the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland over allegations that it failed to protect him from a former priest who was sentenced to prison for exploiting children.
The Rev. Robert McWilliams, following his arrest. [Cory Shaffer photo]CLEVELAND, Ohio –
The lawsuit, filed by Lebanon attorney Konrad Kircher, says the diocese had obtained information about McWilliams during his years as a seminarian. The church and the Rev. Edward Malesic, the bishop of the diocese, are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.“The diocese continues to offer prayers for all those impacted by the reprehensible crimes of Robert McWilliams,” the statement says. “The diocese has been a leader in the protection of children for the past two decades and remains committed to creating safe environments for children in the parishes and schools throughout the diocese.
McWilliams admitted to the charge and seven others last July. U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi sentenced him in November. Authorities began investigating him in October 2019, when two families from St. Helen filed a report detailing how their sons were extorted online for sexually explicit images of themselves.
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