John R. Butler
Fr. John R. Butler was accused of child sexual abuse when he worked as the choirmaster at St. Joseph’s in Kings Park, New York. Fr. Butler went on to work in multiple parishes within three dioceses. On April 11, 2002, the Diocese of Metuchen removed Fr. Butler from ministry in the wake of news that he sexually abused a young boy when he worked for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. In 2003, the Diocese of Metuchen settled with a survivor of Fr. Butler.
Fr. John R. Butler was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Richmond in 1957. He also worked in parishes in West Virginia and the Dioceses of Rockville Centre, Trenton, and Metuchen. Fr. Butler worked at the following locations:
- 1957-1958: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, VA
- 1958-1960: St. Mary Star of the Sea, Fort Monroe, VA (Mission – St. Joseph’s, Buckroe Beach, VA)
- 1960-1961: St. Peter’s, Richmond, VA (Parish Chaplaincy at Penitentiary)
- 1961-1965: St. Joseph’s, Kings Park, NY (Incardinated in Diocese of Rockville Centre)
- 1966: Unknown
- 1966-1968: On duty outside the Diocese of Richmond (unspecified location)
- 1968-1969: Assumption, Keyser, WV (Missions – Our Lady of the Valley, Petersburg, WV; & Our Lady of Grace, Grace, WV)
- 1969-1970: St. Paul’s, Richmond, VA
- 1970-1974: Saints Philip and James, Phillipsburg, NJ
- 1974-1975: St. Barnabas, Bayville, NJ
- 1975-1978: St. Thomas the Apostle, Old Bridge, NJ
- 1978-1979: St. Robert Bellarmine, Freehold, NJ
- 1980: Unknown
- 1980-1984: St. John Vianney, Colonia, NJ
- 1985-1986: Unknown
- 1986-2002: St. John Vianney, Colonia, NJ
- 2002: Removed from ministry
(Sources: The Official Catholic Directory; http://www.bishop-accountability.org/ny-rockvillecentre/accused_priests.htm)