Father Kelly Facing Criminal Charges?

By B.J. Hansen
MyMotherLode
April 30, 2012

http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/1607386/Father-Kelly-Facing-Criminal-Charges.html

San Andreas, CA -- The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office has released a statement regarding an investigation into Michael Kelly, a priest that previously worked in the Mother Lode.

As reported two weeks ago, the Catholic Diocese of Stockton will pay nearly $4 million to settle a lawsuit related to alleged sexual crimes that Kelly performed on an altar boy in Stockton. To read the earlier article, click here. Before working in Stockton, Kelly was a priest in Sonora, Big Oak Flat and San Andreas.

The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office has been investigating additional allegations made against the priest. Kelly has reportedly returned to his native Ireland. If additional charges are brought against Kelly, it could potentially lead to him being extradited back to the U.S.

Sheriff Gary Kuntz has released the following statement, "The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office is currently completing interviews with persons associated with the Father Kelly case. Attempts are being made to locate potential witnesses and victims, however this effort is complicated by the fact that many persons now reside out of the area. One Detective from the Sheriff's Office is specifically assigned to the case, and it is the intention of the Sheriff's Office to submit a report to the District Attorney within the next 30 days."

The Sheriff's Office notes that no further information will be released until the full report is submitted to the DA's Office.