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	Priest Who Served in Chattanooga Is Convicted on Sex Charges The Chattanoogan July 14, 2011 http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_205119.asp A retired Catholic priest who formerly served in Chattanooga was convicted on Thursday on one count of first-degree sexual misconduct and two counts of aggravated rape. The guilty verdicts were handed down in Sullivan County Criminal Court in Blountville. Bill Casey, 77, had been arrested after officials said he admitted last year that he sexually abused one of his parishioners in a Kingsport church over 30 years ago. He was also charged with first-degree sex offense and crime against nature in McDowell County, N.C. The alleged incidents in McDowell County happened while the priest was serving in Kingsport, Tn., officials said. Warren Tucker, an Indiana man, has claimed that he was sexually abused by Casey after he began serving as a 10-year-old altar boy at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, where Casey had begun serving in 1976. Casey also served as the associate pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in downtown Chattanooga from June 1969 through June 1972. Bishop Richard F. Stika of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville issued the following statement after the court conviction, “From the first day that Warren Tucker brought this horrible crime to our attention, the Diocese of Knoxville has supported his efforts to seek justice. “We are brokenhearted at the pain and tragedy Mr. Tucker has experienced over the past years, and we sincerely hope that today’s verdict will bring some healing to him.” "On April 14, 2010, Mr. Tucker came to the diocese to tell diocesan officials that during the 1970s he had been sexually abused by Mr. Casey, who at that time was a priest of the Diocese of Nashville serving in East Tennessee." Bishop Stika said he "immediately began an investigation into the allegations and notified the district attorney offices and law enforcement officials in Greene and Sullivan counties, in keeping with diocesan policy on sexual misconduct." He said he met with Casey that afternoon, "and he admitted there was credibility to these accusations." Bishop Stika said at that time he issued a “suspension decree” to Casey. This permanently suspended him from priestly ministry, permanently removed his priestly faculties, and decreed that he could not present himself as a priest — for example, could not use the clerical title “Father,” wear clerical garb, or act in any priestly capacity. Bishop Stika said, "The following morning the diocese held a press conference to publicly apologize to Mr. Tucker and to invite any other possible victims to come forward. Bishop Stika then sent a letter to all parishes that week to be read at all weekend Masses to explain to the faithful about the tragedy that had occurred to Mr. Tucker and to ask for their prayers and assistance in reaching out to anyone who may have been hurt. "In the weeks following, the diocese held four healing sessions in the areas of the diocese where Mr. Casey had served in order to reach out to any other potential victims and help all those who were hurting to begin the healing process. "The diocese has cooperated fully with civil authorities since Mr. Casey’s actions came to light and will continue to do so."
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