ALASKA
KTUU
Thursday, December 22, 2005 - by Jason Moore
Anchorage, Alaska - A Nome judge dismissed civil allegations of child sexual abuse against a former Alaska priest. Rev. Jim Poole is accused of molesting children in the mid-1970s while working in Nome. The judge ruled the statute of limitations has expired for Poole. But the judge says the case against the Diocese of Fairbanks and the Society of Jesus can go forward.
For attorney Ken Roosa, who represents three of Poole's alleged victims, it’s a disappointment Poole is now excused from the lawsuit. But Roosa is pleased the lawsuit will go forward against the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks and the Jesuit organization, Society of Jesus, which employed Poole.
The ruling from Nome Judge Ben Esch says the statute of limitations has expired for Poole, with the allegations coming forward close to 30 years after the alleged abuse. The church organizations were hoping they too would be excused on that basis.