Diocese of Stockton
In January 2004, the Diocese of Stockton Bishop Stephen Blair released a report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese. Between 1950 and 2003, 29 people alleged sexual abuse by 10 priests in the Diocese of Stockton. Fr. Oliver O’Grady was the subject of 17 of the allegations. A total of 404 priests ministered in the Diocese during this time period. Most of the statistics released by the Diocese include the time period from January 1962 when the Diocese was created through 2003.
Two of the priests were criminally charged and convicted, three priests were not criminally charged, and one priests was spared prosecution as a result of the California Supreme Court’s decision on the criminal statute of limitations on child sexual abuse.
At the time 12, lawsuits were pending against the Diocese of Stockton which were filed during the one-year legislative window allowing previously time-barred cases of child sexual abuse to be heard in court.
1998 Diocese of Stockton Jury Verdict
In July 1998, Attorney Jeff Anderson won a $30 million verdict against the Diocese of Stockton for the sexual abuse of two brothers by Fr. Oliver O’Grady. The award included $6 million in compensatory damages and $24 million in punitive damages. At the time, the award was the largest verdict ever reached against the Catholic Church in California and was the largest nationwide in the amount given to each individual.
Diocese of Stockton Bankruptcy
On January 15, 2014, the Diocese of Stockton filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy filing came on the same day the deposition of Douglass Wilhoit, president and CEO of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce and Diocesan Review Board member, was scheduled. Wilhoit served on the board which recommended reinstating Fr. Eugene Michael Kelly after allegations of child sexual abuse had been publicly disclosed.
A total of 34 sexual abuse survivors made claims in the Diocese of Stockton bankruptcy proceedings. Judge Christopher M. Klein approved a $15 million consensual reorganization plan in January 2017 after approximately two years of litigation.
Clergy Accused of Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Stockton
The list below contain the names of clergy who were assigned within or working in the California Diocese of Stockton who have been accused of sexual misconduct. While lawsuits were filed involving many of these alleged perpetrators, the vast majority of the claims against these individuals have been settled or have not been fully evaluated in a civil or criminal court. Accordingly, the allegations should be considered just allegations and should not be considered proved or substantiated in a court of law.
All individuals should be considered innocent until proven guilty. In some situations, the statute of limitations has expired preventing cases from being heard in a court of law. The information contained herein is an attempt to compile information already available to the public including information obtained from the media, www.bishopaccountability.org, the Diocese’s public statements, lists and reports that were released to the public, and other sources that have attempted to chronicle this information for public use.
