Priest arraigned on child sex charges

Rev. Louis E. Miller and his lawyer showed up without notice at the courthouse after 8 a.m.

The Rev. Louis E. Miller, a Roman Catholic priest in the Archidocese of Louisville, was arraigned this morning in Jefferson Circuit Court on 42 felony counts of sexually abusing 15 children.

Miller and his lawyer, David Lambertus, showed up without notice at the courthouse after 8 a.m., four days before his scheduled arraignment. Lambertus said yesterday that Miller was out of town and promised to produce him for court.

Police said yesterday they would arrest Miller if they located him before he was arraigned.

Miller's bond was set at $100,000, which the priest was attempting to post this morning. He must be processed through the court and jail system before he can be released.

A grand jury has indicted Miller on charges of abusing 13 boys and two girls between 1959 and 1982 at Holy Spirit, St. Athanasius and St. Elizabeth of Hungary parishes, at SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hopsital chapel and in his car, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said yesterday that investigations are continuing, and more indictments are possible, including in Oldham County where Miller was a priest at St. Aloysius in Pewee Valley from 1973 to 1975.

The charges carry potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison. He also is the subject of almost 59 lawsuits filed by alleged sexual victims against the Archdiocese of Louisville.

Priest indicted in sex cases
Rev. Louis E. Miller faces 42 counts of molestating children

By Deborah Yetter

Police Capt. Richard Dotson, right, with prosecutor Dave Stengel, said Miller would be arrested if located. PHOTO BY BILL LUSTER

June 27, 2002 - The Rev. Louis E. Miller, a Roman Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Louisville, was indicted yesterday on 42 felony counts of sexually abusing children.

Miller, 71, who retired in March amid allegations he sexually abused youths, is charged with abusing 15 children -- 13 boys and two girls -- between 1959 and 1982. The offenses occurred at Holy Spirit, St. Athanasius and St. Elizabeth of Hungary parishes, at SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital chapel and in his car, the indictment said.

Jefferson Circuit Judge James Shake yesterday authorized a warrant for Miller's arrest, and Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel said Miller won't get special treatment because he's a priest.

The Rev. Louis E. Miller has denied earlier abuse allegations and has denied being a pedophile.

'We're not prosecuting a priest,'' he said. ''We're prosecuting a pedophile who happens to be a priest.''

Bernie Queenan, 53, allegedly abused by Miller in 1960, said he's relieved but not rejoicing over the criminal charges.

''This is not about revenge,'' Queenan said. ''There's no joy in putting him in jail. I just don't want him hurting anyone else.''

It wasn't clear yesterday when Miller would be taken into custody. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Carol H. Cobb told the judge yesterday that Miller's lawyer, David Lambertus, had told her that Miller is out of town but that Lambertus would produce him to appear in court.

Cobb said Lambertus didn't say where Miller is staying.

Lambertus yesterday said he had no comment and Miller will have no comment on the case. Miller, however, has denied allegations of abuse in past lawsuits and denied being a pedophile in 1999 testimony in a lawsuit brought by his niece, Mary Miller.

INDICTMENT AGAINST LOUIS E. MILLER

Yesterday's indictment accused the Rev. Louis E. Miller of sexually abusing 15 children between 1959 and 1982. The alleged victims, when the alleged abuse occurred, the number of counts and the sites are: Frank Diebold, two counts, 1959 and 1960, Holy Spirit School. Ronald Landry, four counts, between 1959 and 1961, Holy Spirit Church and gym and in Miller's car. Bernard K. Queenan, two counts, 1960, Holy Spirit Church. Martha Brotzge Weinert, two counts, 1960, Holy Spirit Church. Timothy Baker, six counts, 1960 and 1961, Holy Spirit Church. William Handelman, four counts, 1960 and 1961, Holy Spirit Church. James Corcoran, one count, 1961, Holy Spirit Church. Paul Fischer, one count, 1961, Holy Spirit Church. Michael Gnau, 1962 and 1963, four counts, St. Athanasius School. Glenn Gruber, one count, between 1962 and 1963, St. Athanasius rectory. Patrick Michael Meehan, six counts, 1963, SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital chapel. Mary Miller, one count, 1972, a residence on Rudy Lane. Mark Niemann, three counts, between 1979 and 1981, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church and rectory. William Matz, three counts, between 1980 and 1982, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church.

Miller's arraignment is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Monday before Jefferson Circuit Judge Ann O'Malley Shake.

Louisville Police Capt. Richard Dotson, head of the Crimes Against Children Unit, which investigated the case, said if police locate Miller before then, they will arrest him.

Yesterday's indictment represents only a portion of the more than 60 people who have filed lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Louisville alleging Miller molested them. Eleven of the 15 people named in the indictment have filed such lawsuits, which name only the archdiocese -- and not Miller -- as defendant.

Prosecutors said yesterday that investigations are continuing, and more indictments are possible, including in Oldham County where Miller was a priest at St. Aloysius in Pewee Valley from 1973 to 1975.

Oldham Commonwealth's Attorney Kim Snell said state police are investigating allegations there, and when they finish he will review the results to determine whether to seek indictments from a grand jury.

Stengel said police and his office also are reviewing allegations against a ''few'' other local priests but he couldn't say yet whether those cases will result in indictments.

Brian Reynolds, chief administrative officer for the archdiocese, said yesterday that his office has cooperated with police and prosecutors and supports their effort.

''We think that people need to be held accountable if they break the law,'' he said.

Reynolds said Miller will be responsible for his defense in the criminal case.

Meanwhile, several alleged victims identified in the indictment said yesterday they are pleased to learn of the criminal charges.

''It's time,'' said Dr. William Handelman, 53, a Florida physician and 1963 graduate of Holy Spirit Elementary. ''I wish that things could have been different, that we could have stopped him sooner.''

The indictment alleged Miller sexually abused Handelman four times in 1960 and 1961 by fondling his genitals in the basement of Holy Spirit Church.

Queenan, a classmate of Handelman's, said he hopes the charges will help victims recover and feel vindicated.

Miller is charged in the indictment with two counts of sexually abusing Queenan in 1960, once by pressing Queenan against his genitals and once by fondling Queenan's genitals.

''The police believed us, the commonwealth's attorney believed us and the grand jury believed us,'' Queenan said. ''For years, nobody believed us. That's a victory.''

And Tim Baker, molested six times by Miller in 1960 and 1961, according to the indictment, said he hopes the case gives the accusers some peace of mind and sends a message to the church.

Baker and others have alleged for years that church officials shuffled Miller from parish to parish as complaints about his behavior arose. Their lawsuits allege that the archdiocese knew of the problem but failed to stop it.

The archdiocese has declined to comment on the pending lawsuits.

''Half of the crime was the abuse itself and the other half is how the church moved him around,'' said Michael Turner, who alleges in a lawsuit that Miller abused him at St. Aloysius. Turner said he has given a statement to police investigating Miller in Oldham County.

Stengel said yesterday that, if Miller is convicted, his office probably would seek a prison sentence but he would want to review the case and confer with victims before reaching a decision.

The charges carry potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison. In 36 of the counts, Miller is charged with indecent or immoral practices with another, a charge under the state's old criminal law that carries a penalty of one to 10 years in prison.

Six offenses are alleged to have occurred after 1975, when the state's criminal code was revised, and Miller is charged in those counts with sexual abuse in the first degree, which carries a penalty of one to five years in prison.

Stengel said yesterday both charges are equivalent to sexual abuse.

Stengel and Dotson said yesterday they encourage anyone who alleges sexual abuse to contact them and they will investigate.

In some cases, allegations from many years ago appear to be misdemeanors and -- because the statute of limitations for misdemeanors is one year -- prosecutors weren't able to seek charges, Stengel said. But he said officials will pursue all allegations and bring charges when possible.

There is no statute of limitations on felonies in Kentucky.

Staff writer Peter Smith contributed to this story.