By Ben Solis
Gongwer News Service
The Department of Attorney General on Monday released its fourth report on sexual abuse allegations and other sexual misconduct to have been alleged in the state, this time focusing on the Diocese of Lansing, including a list of 48 priests, three religious brothers, one former religious brother and four deacons.
The report released Monday also includes 42 individuals ordained or incardinated by the diocese.
“These reports are important, not just because we made a promise to the survivors years ago, but because victims, especially in cases like these where the assaults were perpetrated by entrusted members of a community, are often silenced – in some cases for decades or a lifetime,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement. “By publishing these reports, we are sharing their stories and validating their experiences. Criminal prosecutions are just one accountability metric. Ensuring each victim is heard, regardless of how long ago the sexual abuse and misconduct may have been, is important in acknowledging their pain and fostering a culture that prioritizes these victims over their silence.”
A news release on the report notes that the diocese agreed to provide reports of abuse to the department, compiling a list of priests for which there were allegations of sexual misconduct against either children or adults since January 1, 1950. The list was also the culmination of a search warrant against the diocese executed in 2018 and from a tipline that went into operation the same year.
Although the list lays out the details of each complaint against a given priest or religious brother, the report notes possible criminal prosecutions against several alleged instances are barred by the statute of limitations, or because the accused priest is deceased, or for other allegations because the conduct did not violate Michigan law or the person who alleged the sexual abuse did not wish to pursue criminal charges.
The Department of Attorney General released its report regarding the Diocese of Marquette on October 27, 2022; its report regarding the Diocese of Gaylord on January 8; and its report regarding the Diocese of Kalamazoo on May 22.
To date, the department has reviewed 1.5 million paper documents, 3.5 million electronic records and issued criminal charges in 11 cases. The department has secured convictions in nine of those cases, involving 38 sexual assault or abuse survivors.
Two of the cases involved priests ministering in the Diocese of Lansing, and one against a former religious brother:
People v. Vincent DeLorenzo – DeLorenzo, a priest at Holy Redeemer Church in Burton, was sentenced to one year in jail and five years’ probation in June of 2023 on one count of attempted first-degree criminal sexual conduct. DeLorenzo pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy following a service he officiated for the boy’s deceased family member in 1987. DeLorenzo died in January while serving his sentence.
People v. Timothy Crowley – Crowley, a priest at St. Thomas Rectory in Ann Arbor, was sentenced in November 2023, to one year incarceration and five years’ probation on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Crowley pleaded guilty in August 2023, and was originally charged with four felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and four felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for sexually abusing a minor child three decades ago.
People v. Joseph Comperchio – Comperchio, a church organist and Catholic school drama and music teacher at St. John Catholic School in Jackson who held himself out to be a Catholic brother, was sentenced to 10-30 years’ incarceration on one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Comperchio pleaded guilty to each count in June of 2021, he had been originally charged with two counts of first-degree CSC and nine counts of second-degree CSC for sexual abuse of four minor children, some as young as nine years old, in the 1970s. Comperchio died from natural causes in 2022 while serving his sentence.
Gongwer News Service
The Department of Attorney General on Monday released its fourth report on sexual abuse allegations and other sexual misconduct to have been alleged in the state, this time focusing on the Diocese of Lansing, including a list of 48 priests, three religious brothers, one former religious brother and four deacons.
The report released Monday also includes 42 individuals ordained or incardinated by the diocese.
“These reports are important, not just because we made a promise to the survivors years ago, but because victims, especially in cases like these where the assaults were perpetrated by entrusted members of a community, are often silenced – in some cases for decades or a lifetime,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement. “By publishing these reports, we are sharing their stories and validating their experiences. Criminal prosecutions are just one accountability metric. Ensuring each victim is heard, regardless of how long ago the sexual abuse and misconduct may have been, is important in acknowledging their pain and fostering a culture that prioritizes these victims over their silence.”
A news release on the report notes that the diocese agreed to provide reports of abuse to the department, compiling a list of priests for which there were allegations of sexual misconduct against either children or adults since January 1, 1950. The list was also the culmination of a search warrant against the diocese executed in 2018 and from a tipline that went into operation the same year.
Although the list lays out the details of each complaint against a given priest or religious brother, the report notes possible criminal prosecutions against several alleged instances are barred by the statute of limitations, or because the accused priest is deceased, or for other allegations because the conduct did not violate Michigan law or the person who alleged the sexual abuse did not wish to pursue criminal charges.
The Department of Attorney General released its report regarding the Diocese of Marquette on October 27, 2022; its report regarding the Diocese of Gaylord on January 8; and its report regarding the Diocese of Kalamazoo on May 22.
To date, the department has reviewed 1.5 million paper documents, 3.5 million electronic records and issued criminal charges in 11 cases. The department has secured convictions in nine of those cases, involving 38 sexual assault or abuse survivors.
Two of the cases involved priests ministering in the Diocese of Lansing, and one against a former religious brother:
People v. Vincent DeLorenzo – DeLorenzo, a priest at Holy Redeemer Church in Burton, was sentenced to one year in jail and five years’ probation in June of 2023 on one count of attempted first-degree criminal sexual conduct. DeLorenzo pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy following a service he officiated for the boy’s deceased family member in 1987. DeLorenzo died in January while serving his sentence.
People v. Timothy Crowley – Crowley, a priest at St. Thomas Rectory in Ann Arbor, was sentenced in November 2023, to one year incarceration and five years’ probation on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Crowley pleaded guilty in August 2023, and was originally charged with four felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and four felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for sexually abusing a minor child three decades ago.
People v. Joseph Comperchio – Comperchio, a church organist and Catholic school drama and music teacher at St. John Catholic School in Jackson who held himself out to be a Catholic brother, was sentenced to 10-30 years’ incarceration on one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Comperchio pleaded guilty to each count in June of 2021, he had been originally charged with two counts of first-degree CSC and nine counts of second-degree CSC for sexual abuse of four minor children, some as young as nine years old, in the 1970s. Comperchio died from natural causes in 2022 while serving his sentence.
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