The Diocese of St. Petersburg, established in 1968, is on the west-central coast of Florida and includes the counties of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus, serving over 460,000 Catholics.
The diocese lists nine priests on its website credibly accused of sexually abusing minors while serving in the diocese; Richard Allen, Norman Balthazar, Rocco D’Angelo, William Lau, Hubert Reason, Michael Rhodes, James Russo, Robert Shaeufele, and Keith Symons. The diocese also lists the following five laypeople credibly accused of sexually abusing minors while employed by the diocese: Robert Allen, Leon Gilberti, Emil Anastasia, Scott Stern, and Tom Nibbio.
As of 2011, the diocese had paid $4.7 million to settle lawsuits alleging sexual abuse; out of that $4.7 million, the diocese paid $1.8 million between 2006 and 2011. The diocese paid an additional $237,000 for victim counseling and $123,000 for legal fees. In one lawsuit, the diocese paid a settlement of $75,000 in 2010 to a man who claimed that former diocese priest Norman Balthazar sexually abused him in 1980 when he was a minor.
Balthazar was assigned to Tampa’s Christ the King parish at the time of the abuse. In 1991, authorities charged him with soliciting a lewd act with a male when Balthazar was serving at this parish. The case was thrown out, and Balthazar was allowed to continue serving as a priest after taking a nine-month sabbatical and undergoing counseling.
In 2002, several former parishioners in the diocese alleged that former priest Hubert Reason sexually abused them while they were minors. The victims claimed that Reason gave them alcohol on trips to Tampa, and that he had sexually abused them on the trips. Reason left the diocese in 1978 and later served in several other Florida dioceses. The dioceses of Orlando and St. Augustine later paid settlements of $1.5 million based on allegations by three former altar boys that Reason sexually abused them while serving in those dioceses.
In the case of former priest Rocco Charles D’Angelo, the Archdiocese of Miami knew that D’Angelo had molested at least four boys during his tenure. In response to complaints from parents, the archdiocese sent D’Angelo to therapy. It D’Angelo was then reassigned to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, where he continued to molest children for years until he was forced to retire in 1994 following new allegations against him.
In one case of sexual abuse in the diocese by a church employee, Clearwater Central Catholic High School wrestling coach Scott Stern was sued in 2016 by a student who accused him of abuse. Another student sued him in 2017, again claiming sexual abuse. According to these lawsuits, Stern accused the boys of using illegal drugs and threatened to report them unless they engaged in humiliating acts. The lawsuits alleged that the school should have known about Stern’s predatory behavior because he had been accused of similar conduct at another high school in the area.
Though no one can take away the pain your abuser caused you, sexual abuse victims deserve to seek justice. You may be able to file a claim against both your abuser and the Diocese of St. Petersburg. It is crucial that you speak with a Florida sexual abuse lawyer to understand whether or not you can file a claim. It may not be too late; even if the abuse happened years ago, you may have legal rights.
Contact our legal team of child sex abuse lawyers at Herman Law today to understand how we can help you. We offer victims a free case evaluation so do not hesitate – contact us now!
- Br. Jorge Acosta
- Fr. Richard J. Allen
- Fr. Russell Gerald Appleby
- Fr. Norman G. Balthazar
- Fr. Matthew Berko
- Fr. Polienato Bernabe
- Br. William Michael Burke
- Br. John Casula
- Fr. Innocente Clementi
- Br. Peter Day
- Fr. Louis Hamm
- Fr. Ramon Hernandez
- Fr. Thomas J. Hidding
- Fr. James C. Lara
- Fr. William A. Lau
- Br. Stephen Letourneaux
- Fr. Ronald John Luka
- Fr. Nicholas McLoughlin
- Br. Thomas J. Mulryan
- Fr. Terence O’Donnell
- Fr. Hubert John Reason
- Fr. Michael Rhodes
- Fr. Norman J. Rogge
- Fr. Jan Sanders
- Fr. Robert L. Schaeufele
- Fr. Joseph Schneider
- Fr. Jeremiah M. Spillane
- Fr. Ignatius Tuoc