Child Sexual Abuse Case Ongoing

By Thomas Franz
C and G News
May 19, 2015

http://www.candgnews.com/news/child-sexual-abuse-case-ongoing-83602

The preliminary examination in the case of a former employee at a local Catholic high school began on May 13 at 42-A District Court in Romeo.

Joseph Sturza, a former director of admissions at Austin Catholic High School in Ray Township and a former youth minister at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Macomb Township, is charged with four felony counts: child sexual abuse activity, accosting a child for immoral purposes, and two counts of using a computer to communicate with a minor in order to commit a crime.

At the preliminary examination, a sergeant with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department and Macomb Area Computer Enforcement team provided background into the department’s investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from the Archdiocese of Detroit offices on Nov. 19 regarding an employee at Austin Catholic possibly having inappropriate contact with a student through use of a computer.

The student was identified during the exam as a 15-year-old boy.

The sheriff’s office then set up an interview with the student’s parents on Nov. 20, when they were provided with a copy of emails taken from the student’s email account. The parents also provided the Sheriff’s Office with the student’s school-issued iPad, cellphone, and sexual aides that were allegedly provided to the student from Sturza.

After the interview, the Sheriff’s Office was also provided access to Sturza’s office at Austin Catholic. They took a Dell computer tower for evidence and were provided with Sturza’s school-issued iPad and cellphone the following day. Sergeants also took a computer from Sturza’s office at St. Isidore.

A search warrant for Sturza’s residence was executed on Nov. 26, when he was also arrested. Officers took a laptop computer and thumb drives from his home.

The exam was not able to be completed because both sides are waiting to receive official transcripts of text messages from a cellphone that was used by Sturza.

The exam is scheduled to continue on July 8.