A Catholic priest is beneath investigation for allegedly beginning a years-long relationship with a 17-year-old stripper — and paying her a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} to maintain quiet about it.
Robert Sullivan, 61, is on go away as pastor of Our Woman of Sorrows Church in Homewood, Alabama, after he was publicly accused of initiating a relationship with Heather Jones, now 33, when she was a weak teenager in 2009.
Jones stated in a letter to the Diocese of Birmingham — and shared with The Guardian — that she first met Sullivan whereas she was dancing at a strip membership he frequented.
Whereas tipping her, he provided her $273,000 to signal a non-disclosure settlement in alternate for “an ongoing relationship that would come with monetary assist in alternate for personal companionship,” Jones alleged, telling the Guardian the settlement included intercourse.
Jones, who was raised in foster care attributable to her mom’s “extreme neglect,” stated she “was hesitant however in the end agreed attributable to his persistence and the state [of mind] I used to be in,” based on her letter to the diocese.
Days later, she obtained two wire transfers of $136,500 every beneath the identify of an lawyer’s workplace, she alleged.
Sullivan, initially posing as a physician, took her out to buy, eat, drink and keep at lodges in no less than six totally different Alabama cities over the course of the connection, which lasted till this yr, she alleged.
The priest purchased her a telephone and even paid for her to go to rehab whereas she suffered from dependancy and melancholy, the accuser claimed.
Between simply July 18, 2024 to March of this yr, a Venmo account beneath Jones’ identify had paid Jones virtually $120,000, she advised the Guardian.
Jones stated she felt compelled to go public with the allegations as a result of Sullivan works so intently with households and their youngsters at his church.
“Others could also be weak to the identical sort of manipulation and exploitation,” she advised the paper.
Sullivan has been a priest for greater than 32 years and was previously president of John Carroll Excessive College for six years, based on Al.com.
He introduced on Aug. 2 that he was taking private go away as pastor.
Bishop Steven Raica, head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, addressed the allegations in a letter to the diocese this week, noting that there’s not sufficient proof for a prison investigation into Sullivan’s conduct.
“Whereas the Alabama Division of Human Sources decided that the allegations didn’t match the necessities for opening an investigation, a diocese investigation was initiated, once more, based on Church regulation and our diocesan insurance policies and tips,” Raica wrote.
“Our diocesan Sufferer Help Coordinator has continued to keep up a correspondence with the lady who introduced forth the allegations and has supplied applicable assist.”
The allegations are being reported to the Vatican, the bishop stated.
