Lawsuit Filed against Central Illinois Priests

By Neil Doyle and WMBD-TV

A law firm Wednesday released a list of 29 Central Illinois priests accused of sexual abuse. The priests served in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria which includes Livingston county.

The law firm Jeff Anderson and Associates held a news conference in Chicago to announce the 185-page report that lists the names of every Catholic priest and lay person in Illinois who has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct.

Of the 29 listed, 22 have already been “credibly accused” by the Diocese.

The report goes into detail regarding when they were involved with the diocese and their assignments. It also provides backstories about each of the allegations.

The report also accuses Religious Clergy and Lay Persons in Illinois, with eight priests or laypersons within the Peoria diocese listed.

The attorneys have represented clergy abuse victims across the United States.

The Diocese of Peoria was established in 1887. There are approximately 197 priests currently in the diocese.