December 1, 2005
Dear Attorney General Nixon:
We're not lawyers, but the Missouri statues seem pretty clear to us: within ten days of their conviction, sex offenders in Missouri must register with the state and disclose where they're living.
Father Thomas Graham was convicted of forcible sodomy in August. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on November 11. Yet as far as we can tell, he has yet to register.
In fact, in to the 11/24 Post Dispatch, his attorney has publicly announced that Graham has no intention of doing so.
Defense lawyer Christian Goeke said, "Our position is that, because the statute under which he was prosecuted has since been repealed and is not listed as one of the crimes for which the current statutes apply, that he is not required to comply with the residency requirement."
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty
We ask that you investigate this matter promptly and issue a formal opinion on whether or not Graham is required to register as a sex offender.
We believe three things:
- that kids will be safer if his whereabouts are known.
- that more victims and witnesses will be inclined to report clergy sex crimes if they see abusive priests and complicit bishops being treated just like other criminals are, with no special considerations or deference or favors.
- that even if Graham reverses his decision and opts to “voluntarily” register, there will be other similar cases in the future and that citizens and sex offenders deserve some clarity about who must register and who must not.
When it comes to the safety of children, we as a society can't allow convicted child molesters to unilaterally determine which laws apply to them and which laws don't.
Furthermore, we suspect Graham has violated another state law, by living for months at Regina Cleri, the church retirement home which adjoins The Berry Patch Child Care Center (670 S. Laclede Station Road, 962-4499in Shrewsbury. We have asked the St. Louis County prosecutor to investigate this.
Finally, in your consideration of our request, please keep in mind who Graham is. He has been convicted of molesting one child. Two other victims testified during his criminal trial. A fourth victim has filed a civil lawsuit. Even church officials apparently believe some of the allegations because they have suspended Graham from active ministry.
Please consider where he has been living (and would likely still be living, if not for public controversy). For months, even after conviction, he was in a retirement center, with other sexually abusive priests (Michael Campbell, Robert Johnston, Louis Chiodini, Hugh Creason, Alfred Fitzgerald, among others), in a residential neighborhood, very close to a day care center and two parks.
Now consider who oversees him. A nun, Sister Geraldine Vogel, is in charge of Regina Cleri. You have publicly said she watches over the pedophiles that live there. But Vogel as been quoted as saying the molesters are “volunteer employees.” She admitted she does not monitor them when they leave the facility. “I would trust them all. I would,” she told the Post Dispatch (March 12, 2005).
Adding insult to injury, this same nun that allegedly monitors proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesters rose to publicly defend one last month, speaking in Judge Quigless’ courtroom about what a wonderful man Graham is. In last week’s St. Louis Review, Vogel is quoted as saying that Graham has been driving other priests to various locations and appointments, which suggests he was not being carefully monitored at Regina Cleri.
We are grateful that Fr. Graham has been sentenced to spend time behind bars. But until he is there, surely there is more that can be done to protect children from him.
We look forward to hearing from you.
David Clohessy
National Director, SNAP
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
7234 Arsenal Street
St. Louis MO 63143
314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915
Barbara Dorris
Outreach Director, SNAP
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
6245 Westminster Place
Saint Louis, MO 63130
314 862 7688
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