A pedophile priest fled the U.S. The FBI tracked him. How a California DA let him slip away

Source: Sacramento Bee

A pedophile priest fled the U.S. The FBI tracked him. How a California DA let him slip away

Joe Rubin
Thu, September 28, 2023 at 8:00 AM EDT·29 min read

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But Deanna Hampton also wants something else. She wants those she believes have played a role in denying her son justice – most notably the Calaveras County District Attorney and the Catholic Church – to be held accountable. She also has questions for the FBI.

The church acknowledges that Father Michael Kelly sexually abused Hampton’s son, Trevor Martin, then an altar boy, and at least two other young boys during his time in the Diocese of Stockton. “The diocese accepts full responsibility for the abuse of Trevor and the pain to him and your family,” a letter to Hampton from the diocese in 2017 said. Kelly denied the allegations.

But in the midst of legal proceedings against him, the accused priest fled to his native Ireland, where it is believed he remains today, despite federal charges for unlawful flight, and continues to hold the title of priest.

The Bee sat down with Hampton and also spoke to Trevor’s then high-profile attorney to try and understand how Kelly slipped through the justice system. The Bee also communicated with the prosecutor who handled the case, the FBI, church officials, another of Kelly’s victims and legal experts, including the presiding judge in one of Kelly’s civil cases.

What emerges is a troubling account, marked by a series of missed opportunities, questionable decisions, a potential violation of victims’ civil rights and outright carelessness.

Among The Bee’s findings:

• Calaveras County appears to have taken few if any concrete steps to extradite Kelly. That, despite having publicly vowed to “pursue justice for the victim when Kelly is caught and returned to Calaveras County no matter how long it takes.”
• According to the Calaveras County district attorney’s office, FBI agents told the prosecutor that Ireland was “unwilling to extradite Kelly.” But it’s unclear if that was merely an opinion or if any actual extradition process was pursued.

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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/pedophile-priest-fled-u-fbi-120000779.html