Irish priest in US denies sex claims

By Stephen Rogers

THE US diocese where paedophile priest Oliver O?Grady molested a number of children has been rocked by yet another scandal as another Irish priest has been accused of the same offence.

Tipperary native Father Michael Kelly, who has been a priest at St Joachim Catholic Church in the Stockton diocese for the past three years, has been placed on administrative leave while the diocese investigates an allegation that he sexually abused a boy sometime between 1984 and 1986.

Despite the investigation being confirmed in a statement from the Bishop of the diocese Stephen Blaire, the 56-year-old priest denies sexually abusing anyone and claims he is on leave from the diocese for a recurring problem with an ulcer.

He told the US media he almost died from ulcer problems in 2000, and the problem has returned.

?Just that [the allegation] alone would blacken my name,? he told the US media. ?Whatever happens, you?re guilty, even if there?s nothing to it. We priests don?t have much [material possessions]. One of the few things we have is a good name.?

His lawyer said the priest was an upstanding citizen and clergyman and steadfastly denied the allegations. He said Fr Kelly also passed polygraph tests administered by a lie detector expert.

The father of the alleged victim contacted Bishop Blaire two weeks ago and reported that his son, now 33 but then 10 years old, was sexually abused by Fr Kelly sometime between 1984 and 1986, when the boy was a member of Stockton?s Church of the Annunciation.

Fr Kelly was ordained in Ireland in 1973. Before coming to Lockeford, he served at several parishes in the US, including two in Stockton and one each in San Andreas, Sonora and Ceres.

The statement from the Bishop of the diocese was read at all of Fr Kelly?s previous parishes.

The allegations against the priest come just months after a documentary was released detailing the crimes of paedophile priest Oliver O?Grady.

The Limerick-born priest preyed on young boys and girls during the ?70s and ?80s in the Diocese of Stockton and admitted to abusing up to 25 people.

John Manly, the lawyer representing the alleged victim of Fr Kelly, said: ?Is there no end to this? What is wrong in the Diocese of Stockton? It?s inexplicable.?

The matter has been reported to the Stockton Police Department.