Lawsuit Filed in Connection to Accused Priest Fr. Joseph Jiang

By Brandie Piper
KSDK
July 17, 2013

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/388698/3/Lawsuit-filed-in-connection-to-accused-priest

[with video]

ST. LOUIS (KSDK) - A new lawsuit is unveiling serious accusations against a St. Louis priest.

The case involves Fr. Joseph Jiang, who is charged with child endangerment for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. He's currently on administrative leave from his position at the Cathedral Basilica.

A lawsuit claims Jiang fondled the teen and convinced her to set up a secret email account to send her inappropriate messages.

The support group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) filed the lawsuit against St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson, saying he knew the priest was dangerous to children.

NewsChannel 5 asked the Archdiocese for comment and it released the following statement: "We have now seen a copy of the lawsuit. These new allegations against the Archdiocese of St. Louis and Archbishop Carlson are false and will be denied in an answer to the lawsuit filed in court."