Rockford Register Star
February 13, 2008
http://www.rrstar.com/homepage/x1678082232
Former Rockford Catholic priest Mark Campobello, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for the sexual abuse of two teenagers, was released Wednesday from the Illinois River State Prison near Canton.
Campobello, who reported to prison June 2, 2004, was paroled after serving half of his sentence and being given credit for time served in a county jail.
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| Mark Campobello |
Department of Corrections spokesman Derek Schnapp said Campobello was paroled after the state approved his residence plans. Schnapp said Campobello plans to live in Illinois.
As a convicted sex offender, Campobello has to sign up on the state's sex offender list within five days of being paroled.
Campobello, 43, was a priest in the Rockford Diocese. He was ordained in 1991 and served at Holy Family and St. Peter parishes in Rockford. He then worked in the Geneva-Aurora area, which is where the abuse took place, and was sent to St. James Church in Belvidere in 2001. He was arrested in December 2002 and relieved of his duties at the Belvidere church.
The Vatican later expelled him from the priesthood.
After being charged with 15 counts of sexual abuse of a minor, Campobello pleaded guilty to two counts, one involving a 15-year-old girl and one involving a 14-year-old girl. They were members or students of the parish and Catholic school where he was serving.
Last year, the diocese agreed to pay the victims $2.2 million to settle a lawsuit. The women had claimed the church should have known that Campobello was a danger to society.
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