By Josh Dooley
Baxter Bulletin
April 19, 2011
http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20110419/NEWS01/104190339/1002/Baxter-County-prosecutor-No-criminal-charges-against-former-Mountain-Home-priest
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| Father Charles U. Kanu prays during a Sept. 11 memorial service on the Mountain Home Plaza in this 2008 Bulletin file photo. |
Baxter County Prosecutor Ron Kincaid told The Bulletin Monday no charges will be filed against a former Mountain Home priest accused of sexually exploiting a parishioner.
The unidentified woman — for whom a $5 million lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock and Bishop Anthony B. Taylor has been filed— made a criminal complaint against Father Charles Kanu with the Mountain Home Police Department.
Chief Carry Manuel said an investigation was completed and the information was forwarded to Kincaid.
"From our standpoint, no criminal activity took place," Kincaid said. "The bulk of the relationship took place when he was in Little Rock."
Kanu served as priest at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church in Mountain Home from 2005 to 2009, according to Bulletinarchives. During that time, Kanu allegedly exploited the woman parishioner and counselee, identified in the civil complaint as "Jane Doe 5." Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is bringing the suit on behalf of "Jane Doe."
The woman and SNAP filed the lawsuit April 13 in Pulaski County seeking compensatory damages in excess of $5 million against the Little Rock Diocese of Little Rock, Anthony and an unnamed insurance company. The diocese contends Kanu's duties as a priest have been suspended because of misconduct allegations, and that he admitted failing to comply with conditions that were placed on him even though the diocese's investigation was "inconclusive."
The accuser now is in her 40s and lives in Arkansas, according to SNAP. Kanu is believed to be in his native Nigeria. The lawsuit states the woman is not revealing her name because "she fears further psychological harm and threats to her physical safety if her identity is publicly revealed."
Timeline of allegations
According to Jessica Barbour, one of the woman's attorneys, Kanu used his position and his relationship as confessor and counselor to the woman in order to sexually exploit her after advising her to divorce her husband. Although Kanu was transferred to Helena, the counseling and sexual exploitation continued for 18 months, according to Barbour, who contends several other church officials were aware of it.
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