Girl, Parents File Lawsuit against Priest, Diocese, The Examiner, June 3, 2011

Girl, Parents File Lawsuit against Priest, Diocese

The Examiner
June 3, 2011

http://www.examiner.net/topstories/x910427354/Girl-parents-file-lawsuit-against-priest-diocese

[the lawsuit]

Shawn Francis Ratigan

Kansas City, MO —

A minor girl and her parents filed a civil lawsuit Thursday against Shawn Ratigan, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Bishop Robert Finn alleging that Ratigan took pornographic photographs of the minor.

Filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, the lawsuit alleges that Ratigan, who was living in Independence at the time of his arrest, took photos of the girl “engaged in sexually explicit conduct,” images of her nude and images of her in underwear starting in 2006.

The suit also alleges that Bishop Finn and the diocese concealed the photos allegedly taken by Ratigan.

Ratigan was arrested on child pornography charges on May 18 at the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist, a convent on North Noland Road. The diocese said he was living there while Finn determined a place where Ratigan could reside and “not be around children.” He was charged by a Clay County court with three counts of possessing child pornography. He remains in custody on $200,000 bond.

Two days after Ratigan’s arrest, Finn released a statement, saying, “I deeply regret that we didn’t ask the police earlier to conduct a full investigation.”

Ratigan worked at two Kansas City churches and two others starting in 2004. From June 2004 to June 2005, he was an associate pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Kansas City. From July 2005 to June 2009, he was a parochial administrator at St. Mary Parish in St. Joseph and St. Joseph Parish in Easton, Mo. From July 2009 to December 2010, he was pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City.

The plaintiff asked for damages on eight counts, including invasion of privacy, child sexual abuse, negligence and producing, creating, possessing and distributing child pornography.

The lawsuit alleges that diocesan officials violated “Masha’s Law,” a federal law that gives victims the right to sue those who fail to report sexually explicit images of children. The suit also says that diocesan officials knew of suspicions against Ratigan as early as 2006 when a diocese employee reported behavior involving Ratigan and a 4-year-old girl.

On Thursday, the diocese responded to the lawsuit with a statement: “First and foremost, the diocese is deeply concerned for the well-being of this child and her family. We urge anyone within the community who has information about the actions of Shawn Ratigan to make a confidential report to Detective Maggie McGuire, at (816) 584-6633.”