January 07, 2005

Priest's status modified again

DAYTON (OH)
Dayton Daily News

DAYTON | For the second time, a judge Thursday modified a probation requirement for a Catholic priest convicted of public indecency in June.

Judge Mary Katherine Huffman of Montgomery County Common Pleas Court deleted a reference to "sex offender" in requiring the Rev. Thomas Kuhn, 63, to complete treatment at the Behavioral Medicine Institute of Atlanta or any other program deemed appropriate by the court's adult probation department.

Kuhn's attorneys said in December they planned to object to Huffman's inclusion of the words "sex offender" preceding the phrase "program deemed appropriate" in a Dec. 16 order.

Huffman's order Thursday does not explain why she made the modification and Kuhn's attorneys were not available for comment Thursday.

Huffman also changed what had been a "status conference" set for Thursday to a "revocation hearing," which considers evidence of a probation violation.

The violation was spelled out in a document filed Tuesday by assistant Montgomery County prosecutors Robert Deschler and Teresa Hiett.

It charges that Kuhn offered "services to students and/or staff at Elder High School on or about Sept. 27, 2004."

Posted by kshaw at January 7, 2005 06:46 AM