Diocese of Venice Sued for Damages in Sex Abuse Case

The News-Press
September 23, 2014

http://www.news-press.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/23/diocese-venice-deals-another-sex-abuse-charge/16102223/

Dewane Monsignor Frank J. Dewane, 56, a leader in Roman Catholic social teaching on fair wages and immigration, has been named Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, which includes Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties. He will replace Bishop John Nevins, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 75 in January.

The Diocese of Venice is being sued for $5 million in damages in a lawsuit claiming negligence on the part of the diocese and its bishop, Frank Dewane, for failing to prevent the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old boy.

The case involves a boy who was abused in 2013 by a former Eucharistic minister at St. Francis Xavier Church in Fort Myers. At the time the boy was a student in a now-closed Catholic school for children who are "developmentally delayed and/or have special needs," according to the lawsuit.

Robert Little, 74, was arrested Jan. 29 on felony charges of lewd or lascivious behavior on a victim 12-16. Investigators said Little abused the boy several times at a condo Little had access to on Fort Myers Beach. Little was found guilty in July and, in a plea agreement, was sentenced to three days' jail time served and 10 years probation, according to court records. He also was ordered to register as a sex offender.

Adam Horowitz, attorney for the boy and his mother, filed the lawsuit in circuit court on Monday.

"The reason we filed the lawsuit is that we became aware that there was a prior complaint against the same minister (Little)," Horowitz said. "Our investigation revealed the Diocese of Venice failed to take action."

Prior complaint

The previous complaint involved a 2011 incident in which a boy claimed he was abused by Little on church premises, the lawsuit said.

"This incident was reported to the defendant's representatives, including the church's pastor, Father Gregg Caggianelli and its school principal, Jan Ortenzo," the lawsuit stated. "Defendants took no meaningful action to limit Robert Little's access to minors after receiving this report," the lawsuit continues.

However, the diocese never received reports of alleged abuse by Little, according to a statement released Tuesday by Ben Nguyen, chief spokesman for the diocese.

Robert Little(Photo: Special to news-press.com)

Attorney Adam Horowitz speaks Tuesday in front of St. Francis Xavier Church in Fort Myers on Tuesday. He announced a settlement between his client and the Diocese of Venice after a diocesan tribunal found former priest Jean Ronald Joseph guilty of sexual misconduct against a child.(Photo: Andrew West/news-press.com)

"At no time either prior to or since the arrest of Mr. Robert Little did the Diocese of Venice or the Parish receive any complaint of an assault by Mr. Little as alleged in the complaint," the statement said. "This is despite a public request by the Diocese of Venice and the Parish for anyone to come forward to report incidents of abuse to law enforcement and the Department of Children and Families."

Nguyen wrote: "Mr. Little was a volunteer lay Eucharistic Minister at St. Francis Xavier Parish, a person who occasionally helps distribute communion at Mass, but at the time of his arrest he was no longer a volunteer."

In a Feb. 8 News-Press story on Little's January arrest, Billy Atwell, previous spokesman for the diocese, denied Little worked as a Eucharistic minister for St. Francis Church. "I have no idea why he would say that," Atwell said, "but it's not true." Atwell said Little volunteered at the church, helped set up for Mass and distributed communion. But Little resigned during summer 2013 for health reasons, Atwell said.

Background

The narrative from the Lee County Sheriff's Office arrest record for Little states Little admitted to viewing child pornography on his computer many years ago and he had joined a Catholic men's group "in order to have his vows keep him under control." The temptation to engage in sexual acts with children could "rear its head at any time," Little told police.

The arrest report continued: "Little stated that he was mostly interested in prepubescent boys and has acted on his desires before."

Nguyen's statement said all volunteers in the diocese must submit to a federal and state criminal background check and fingerprinting prior to volunteering, and nothing was found in Little's background check that would prevent him from volunteering.

"It is our prayer that all victims of abuse, as well as their families, would feel God's healing and love," the statement said.

Once lawsuit papers are served, the diocese will have 20 days to admit, deny or try to dismiss the allegations, Horowitz said.