IOWA
WSOC
By RYAN J. FOLEY
The Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa —
Two Catholic priests in eastern Iowa have been temporarily removed from the ministry during an investigation into allegations that they sexually molested children decades ago, the Diocese of Davenport said Monday.
The diocese received separate reports of abuse allegations late last week against Father Robert Harness, the pastor of Holy Family Church in Davenport, and John Stack, the chaplain at Mercy Medical Center in Clinton, spokesman David Montgomery said.
He said the diocese turned over the reports to the Scott County Attorney’s Office, which has given church officials permission to proceed with an internal investigation into the claims.
The diocese said in a statement that Harness has been accused of inappropriately touching a minor in approximately 1990. At the time, he was a pastor at St. Mary’s in Keota. Stack is accused of inappropriately touching minors in “approximately the 1980s.” He worked at Holy Family from 1988 until 1990.
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