Diocese pleads no contest in sex abuse

CINCINNATI — The Archdiocese of Cincinnati pleaded no contest Thursday to charges of failing to tell authorities about sex-abuse allegations against priests, becoming just the third Roman Catholic diocese to strike a deal with prosecutors in a criminal investigation.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Richard Niehaus fined the archdiocese $10,000 on five misdemeanor counts.

With Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk representing the church, prosecutor Mike Allen read the five counts of failure to report a felony aloud in court. Each regarded "an institutional knowledge that certain felony sex crimes involving minors occurred."

Asked by the judge if he understood the implications of the plea agreement, Pilarczyk replied, "Yes sir, I do."

Later, at a news conference, the archbishop apologized to abuse victims, adding: "I am taking full responsibility for certain acts that occurred some time ago. Instances of child abuse that should have been reported to civil authorities were apparently not reported."

The no contest plea is not an admission of guilt — the Cincinnati Archdiocese acknowledged no wrongdoing — but means the defendant will not fight the charges.

Allen said under the agreement the archdiocese will institute reporting safeguards even stronger than those required by Ohio law. The archdiocese will establish a $3 million fund to compensate abuse victims, even those who cannot sue because the statute of limitations had expired.

He added the plea agreement accomplished the goal of holding the archdiocese accountable.

"The settlement sends a clear and unequivocal message that the archdiocese has been held responsible," he said. "No longer will abusive priests go unpunished."

Two grand juries have conducted investigations into whether Cincinnati priests molested children, and whether church officials failed to come forward when they learned of abuse charges.

In March 2002, prosecutors served the archdiocese with a subpoena requesting church records on reported molestation. An agreement on which records should be released was reached Monday, and the two sides then began negotiations on an overall settlement.

Grand jury action was suspended during those talks, and Thursday's plea enabled the archdiocese, which covers 237 parishes in 19 southwest Ohio counties, to sidestep a possible indictment. Allen said the grand jury will now be dissolved.