Former Bronxville Priest Charged with First-degree Sexual Abuse of a Child

By Michael P. McKinney
Rockland/Westchester Journal News
December 18, 2018

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2018/12/18/ex-bronxville-priest-charged-sex-assault-child/2354872002/

The Rev. Thomas Kreiser was arraigned on a first-degree sexual abuse charge involved a child.

A former Bronxville priest was arraigned Tuesday on a felony charge of first-degree sexual abuse charge that prosecutors said involved touching a 10-year-old girl.

The Rev. Thomas Kreiser of Riverdale surrendered to authorities Tuesday afternoon and was arraigned in Bronxville Village Court, the Westchester County District Attorney's office said.

Bail was set at $10,000. Kreiser is scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 16.

On Sept. 20, the district attorney alleges, Kreiser engaged in touching a child on an intimate part of her body in Bronxville during the school day.

Kreiser was stationed at St. Joseph’s Parish, which includes a church and elementary school.

His duties included visiting the school at the time of the alleged abuse. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has removed Kreiser from the parish, the prosecutor's office said.

Kreiser previously spent time at St. Patrick's Church in Yorktown Heights and St. Gregory Barbarigo Church in Garnerville.

He was the pastor of St. Gregory from 2008 to 2010, but ended up in legal trouble for stealing $25,600 from the parish for internet gambling and other personal uses. He pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, in 2011 and was sentenced to five years probation.

Kreiser lived at a rehabilitation facility in Pennsylvania to deal with his gambling addiction before joining St. Patrick's parish.