Prosecutors Wednesday dropped a sexual assault charge filed against a Wisconsin priest accused of groping a 15-year-old girl when he was in La Crosse earlier this year.
The Rev. David Szatkowski, 38, of Franklin, Wis., had maintained his innocence since the charge was filed in August, his attorney Keith Belzer said.
“Unfortunately, members of the community often rush to judgment in cases such as these. Sometimes that judgment is made in error,” Belzer said. “In this case, an exhaustive investigation was conducted. At the conclusion of that investigation the charges were finally and appropriately dismissed.”
Prosecutors in September reduced a charge of sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age filed against Szatkowski to fourth-degree sexual assault and disorderly conduct.
For some reason in none of the articles did they ever mention he was a Jesuit, just his "religious order." Maybe they don't know what Jesuits are. [UPDATE: The PDF linked is for a group called "Priests of the Sacred Heart"] But it's a really weird story. Apparently we are to assume the girls made the whole thing up I guess, or that the contact was accidental or something.
Also on the Trib blog they share this:
PhotosIt's a welcomed relief to his provincial superior the Rev. Tom Cassidy at Priests of the Sacred Heart in Hales Corners, Wis.
"Obviously this is wonderful news, especially for Fr. David, who has done everything asked of him during the difficult investigative process," Cassidy writes in a letter.
Szatkowski's religious order will complete an independent investigation before deciding whether to return him to public ministry. You can read more about that process in Cassidy's letter here.
