Scott Kallal, assistant pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Overland Park, Kansas and St. Patrick Catholic Church, Kansas City, Kansas, was charged Friday with “two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.”
KCTV-5 reports:
Authorities say a Catholic priest charged in Wyandotte County with child sex crimes has been arrested in Maryland.
The Wyandotte County prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday that the Rev. Scott Kallal was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Online court records show the 35-year-old was arrested Monday in Rockville in Maryland’s Montgomery County.
Prosecutor’s office spokesman Jonathan Carter said he didn’t know whether Kallal had an attorney. No details were provided about the allegations.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas announced last week that Kallal was pulled from public ministry duties after two sources accused him of “boundary violations.” The archdiocese said its preliminary investigation “revealed violations of some of the archdiocese’s safe environment guidelines which all clerics, employees and volunteers are asked to observe when interacting with young people.”
The archdiocese said Kallal’s suspension was announced during Masses at Overland Park’s Holy Spirit Church and St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kansas. He served at both.
An initial statement from the archdiocese said Kallal “denies any moral misconduct or malicious intent and has agreed to undergo evaluation and counseling.” In a follow-up statement Tuesday, the archdiocese said that it would continue to “cooperate fully” with law enforcement, and that anyone with information about priests, deacons, employees or volunteers engaging in inappropriate conduct should report their concerns.
Fox-4 adds, in a report that is quite sympathetic to the Catholic Church and its “rare” sexual abuse/misconduct/rape/sexual assault/pedophilia problems:
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Parishioners at St. Pat’s and Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park just learned of the allegations the weekend of July 15-16, when it was announced during mass that Fr. Kallal had been relieved of his duties.
While incidents like this are relatively rare, the church says it remains committed to ensuring no child becomes a victim.
The inside of a Catholic Church is often beautiful, and a place where many find comfort. But allegations and criminal charges against church leaders like Fr. Scott Kallal can tarnish its prestige.
“The church is in the business of saving souls and in spiritual life. They’re experts in spirituality. But they’ve brought in experts now and worked together with them to ensure safety of children is a top priority,” said Carrie Cooper, director of the Office of Child and Youth protection for the Kansas City, Mo. Archdiocese.
Cooper’s job was created out of controversy. Nearly six years ago, the Kansas City, Mo. Archdiocese created the Office of Child and Youth Protection after Fr. Shawn Ratigan was sent to prison for child pornography. There is a similar office in KCK, with which Cooper’s office often works.
Cooper says a lot of good changes have happened in recent years to prevent abuse, and to report it, which includes getting police involved right away.
“The civil authorities are the most important. It is their job to sort those things through and do those investigations. So that’s definitely what we want to happen first,” said Cooper.
There are also more intensive background checks for every school and church employee and volunteer. Those individuals also go through intense trainings on child and sexual abuse. That training is also given to kids in parishes and Catholic schools.
“They’re offered training on what is a safe boundary, what is grooming, what is predatory behavior and what do I do to protect myself as a child,” Cooper said.
If anyone breaks a boundary, kids are asked to tell a trusted adult. And if that adult broke the rules, they should keep telling trusted adults until it is taken seriously.
“The goal of all these efforts really is to make sure children are safe. That’s absolutely the most important thing,” Cooper said.
There’s also an independent review board, composed of non-church members who look at every allegation made against someone within the church. The Kansas City, Mo. diocese also has an ombudsmen — a former prosecutor that looks closely at each case.
As for Fr. Kallal, he was said to be attending counseling before his arrest in Maryland. He will be brought back to Kansas within the next few weeks to answer to the charges here.
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A phone call Francisco m the Wynadoote Vounty Sherrif to Fr. Scott advising him a warrant had been ordered fir his arrest would have brought Fr. Scott back the next day. Instead a totsally harmless man is arrested at a place the diocese sent him to for evaluation in Maryland. The insinuation is Fr Scott toed to avoid prosecution. No, he was at a place that could sort this out. After arrest he’s tossed in county jail, no bail because he was pending extradition. Held fir over week in solitary confinement, twenty-three hours a day, then driven back to Ksnsas in the backseat of a puckuo Truck, in irons and gang banger attire. Of course all fingers point at the Sheriff for alerting the press and making this a huge story. So big that when acquitted Fr Scott is still ruined. But could me election time the Sherrif can point to this police cruelty as proof of what a brave crime fighter he Then there is the family pushing this. Bankrupt in 1999, 2014, and 2015. Dies anyone see motivation here for big time payday from the Diocese? I smell the odor of fresh cow pies. Fr Scott convicted by the Sheriff and a press eager to feed the perception that priests are pedophiles. The public accepts this without so much as a thought this could be nothing but shaking the Catholic Money Tree for cash and if it means wrongfully convicting an innocent priest…well you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs
Tell me, if this is treatment one gets for tickling what do you do if a case involves actual rape?
Evaluation for what? Suspected sex crimes are to reported to law enforcement, not managed by diocese officials.
As to the family pushing this. You say they went bankrupt up in 1999, 2014, 2015. How is this possible when you can only file for bankruptcy every seven years?
As far as priests being pedophiles. The facts are clear, the Catholic Church has a horrific pedophile problem, and for decades they covered it up. Whining about unfair press is laughable.
https://www.snapnetwork.org/citing_the_best_interest_of_the_victim_prosecutors_dismiss_criminal_charges_against_a_catholic_priest_snap_reacts It seems like the charges were dismissed against this particular Catholic Priest by the name of Scott Kallal. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t guilty of the charges. It just meant that the prosecutors decided not go ahead with a trial against the accused priest.