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Illinois Sexual Assault Survivors of Priest Abuse Can Take Legal Action

If you or someone you know has been the victim of child abuse in Illinois, it is important to seek legal help as soon as possible. Jeff Anderson & Associates is a leading law firm that specializes in child abuse cases. Our experienced attorneys have helped thousands of victims of sexual abuse, harassment, and priest abuse get the justice they deserve. If you need an abuse attorney in Illinois, we can help. We offer a free consultation so that you can get to know us and our legal team.

Attorney General Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse in Illinois

In August of 2018, Lisa Madigan, the Attorney General at the time, announced that her office would be opening an investigation into clergy child sexual abuse in the state. In December of the same year, Madigan shared the preliminary results of said investigation, revealing they had found more than 500 additional priests and clergy members with sexual abuse allegations, with a grand total of at least 685 accused clergy members.

Report: Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese and Diocese in Illinois

This report contains the names of clergy associated with the Diocese in Illinois 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 court. Accordingly, the allegations should be considered just allegations and should not be considered proven or substantiated in a court of law. Download the report.

If you experienced sexual abuse in Illinois, contact us confidentially today.

Contract Affiliations and Co-Counsel in Illinois

The alliance of Jeff Anderson & Associates and Frost & Pearlman is the most recognized team of clergy abuse attorneys in Chicago and all of Illinois. As sexual abuse lawyers, we have represented thousands of victims of childhood sexual abuse in cases against individual offenders and the institutions that harbor them. We are engaged with a national network of attorneys who share our mission, and when we take a case, we exhaust every imaginable resource in order to serve our clients’ needs.

Marc Pearlman

Attorney – Illinois

Photo of attorney Marc Pearlman

Marc Pearlman, of the Chicago-based law firm Frost and Pearlman, is an intense and focused Chicago clergy abuse attorney practitioner with significant experience working alongside Jeff Anderson & Associates representing survivors of priest abuse and sexual abuse and exploitation in general. He has participated in many domestic and international arbitrations and acted as national coordinating counsel for his clients.

In representing victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, Marc is committed to advocating on behalf of and protecting the interests of children and vulnerable adults. In addition to litigating and settling cases on behalf of his clients, Marc has assisted in drafting legislation and worked to change law to better protect victims of sexual abuse.

Marc graduated from Cornell University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1991.

An accomplished athlete, Marc played four years of football at Cornell, and was a black belt in judo and a ten-time United States judo champion. In 1984, he was the youngest member invited to the U.S. Olympic trials. Marc attributes some of his most positive workplace qualities – teamwork, loyalty, discipline and determination – to having participated in these sports.

Marc Pearlman Bar Admissions:

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Courts for the Districts of Illinois
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit

Melissa Anderson

Attorney – Illinois

Melissa A. Anderson, of the Chicago-based law firm Frost and Pearlman is honored to bring her years of civil litigation and dispute resolution experience to advocate on behalf of survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

With a passion for helping children and adults impacted by such abuse, Melissa seeks to bring a sense of calm and empowerment to those for whom she advocates and is dedicated to holding offenders and their enabling institutions accountable.

Melissa obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and her J.D. with honors from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Melissa continues to reside in the Chicago suburbs where she is raising her two young boys.

You Are Not Alone. We Are Here to Help.

If you were sexually abused as a child in Chicago, or anywhere else in Illinois, call us for a free consultation with one of our Illinois sexual abuse attorneys. Our staff of attorneys, paralegals, and advocates have years of experience working with survivors of priest sexual abuse and work hard to ensure that each survivor’s call is handled with compassion, respect and confidentiality. Contact us today. .

Clergy Accused of Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese & Diocese in Illinois

The list below contains the names of clergy who were assigned within or working in the archdiocese or diocese in Illinois 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 Archdiocese’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.