Millions of documents have been reviewed and 11 men have been or are being prosecuted by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office since authorities executed search warrants two years ago on all seven of Michigan’s Catholic dioceses as part of the state’s investigation into clergy abuse.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation has resulted in 11 cases being prosecuted so far. Two are from the Upper Peninsula:
- Gary Jacobs, a priest at parishes in Ewen and Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula, faces a total of 10 criminal sexual conduct charges in five cases. He was arrested in January in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has been bound over for trial and a Walker Hearing is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2020. Click here for background.
- Roy Joseph, a priest in Marquette, was charged in Marquette County with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. His extradition from India is in progress. Click here for background.
Forty-two Michigan State Police troopers, five officers from different law enforcement agencies and 15 special agents from the Attorney General’s office executed search warrants on Oct. 3, 2018, at Michigan’s seven dioceses. In that effort, they seized 220 boxes of paper documents and more than 3.5 million digital documents.
Due to a slowdown in court operations as a result of COVID-19, no charged cases have been resolved through plea deals or trial since late 2019. However, the review of documents has continued along with other steps to further the investigation. To date, the department has:
- Completed the paper document review of the Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Marquette dioceses. Of the 220 boxes of paper documents seized, about 78 boxes remain;
- Completed the electronic document review of the Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Marquette dioceses;
- Hired and trained a full-time victim advocate to support the hundreds of victims identified in the course of the investigation;
- Continued to refer the completed criminal investigations back to the respective dioceses; and
- Followed up with victims who have not been interviewed with a trauma-informed interviewer – including those whose cases are barred by the Statute of Limitations, where the accused priest has died or any other reason that makes criminal prosecution impossible.
As of Sept. 28, the Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Investigative Team had reviewed more than 2.24 million of the digital documents seized.
“I am deeply proud of the work our Clergy Abuse Investigative Team has done – and we are dedicated to continuing this incredibly important work,” Nessel said. “We are committed to ensuring that every case of sexual abuse and assault is thoroughly reviewed and that whenever we are able to pursue justice for a victim, we do so aggressively and relentlessly. We must all commit to breaking down the walls of silence that so often surround sexual assault and abuse. In the end, we hope this investigation provides a voice to those who have suffered in silence for so long and shines a light on those offenders who have escaped punishment for their crimes by hiding in shadows.”
In addition to the paper and digital documents seized from the dioceses, information is also received through the Attorney General’s clergy abuse tip line: 1-844-324-3374. That has generated 750 tips related to abuse, leading to 112 police investigations, 180 victim interviews and 285 police reports.
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