Clergy Abuse In Arizona

Arizona Sexual Assault Legislation

As systemic sexual abuse is identified in longstanding organizations like the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts of America, state lawmakers across the country are using legislation to tackle the issue. In 2019, Arizona state lawmakers passed legislation to provide greater legal rights to survivors of child sexual abuse.

House Bill 2466 Revises Civil Statute of Limitations

In May 2019, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed House Bill (HB) 2466 into law. The bill has two major provisions that benefit survivors of child sexual abuse:

• HB 2466 extended the statute of limitations to file civil claims of childhood sexual conduct or sexual contact.
• HB 2466 opened a one-year “look back” window in which any survivor of childhood sexual conduct or sexual contact may file a civil claim against his or her abuser. This includes survivors whose case would still be time-barred under the new legal deadline. The Arizona “look back” window closed on December 31, 2020. 

For both provisions, the bill’s text specifies civil lawsuits may be filed based on two actions:

• An abuser has sexual conduct or sexual contact with a minor.
• A mandatory reporter fails to report such conduct.

Arizona Clergy Abuse Lawsuits

Catholic dioceses across the United States — including the dioceses of Arizona — are dealing with widespread clergy abuse allegations. Survivors of clergy abuse are coming forward with their stories and filing lawsuits against Catholic priests, clergy members and Catholic dioceses.

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Priest Sexual Abuse in Arizona?

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse must comply with the statute of limitations pertaining to the crime when seeking legal action.

The state of Arizona has two main statutes of limitations for survivors of sexual assault. There is one statute for bringing criminal charges and another statute for filing a civil lawsuit.

Civil Lawsuits

In Arizona, a survivor of childhood sexual assault has until his or her 30th birthday to file a civil lawsuit against his or her abuser. This is a new legal deadline that was enacted with the passage of HB 2466.

Prior to the passing of this new law, victims of child sex abuse could file a civil claim against their abuser until they reached 20 years of age. This original deadline gave these victims just two years after reaching adulthood to file a claim.

Unfortunately, for many victims of childhood sexual abuse, it can take decades to process the trauma, let alone seek legal action. This new legal deadline accounts for this and offers victims more time.

Criminal Charges

For the following felony offenses, there is no legal deadline to press criminal charges against a perpetrator in the state of Arizona:

• Sexual assault (when a person intentionally engages in intercourse or oral sexual contact without the other person’s consent)
• Sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 15
• Molestation of a minor under the age of 15
• Continuous sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14
• Sexual exploitation of a minor
• Aggravated luring of a minor for sexual exploitation

For the following felony offenses, criminal charges must be filed within seven years:

• Sexual abuse (when a person intentionally engages in sexual contact with any person who is 15 years of age or older without the other person’s consent OR with any person under the age of 15 if the sexual contact involves only the female breast)
• Public sexual indecency
• Sexual conduct with minor over the age of 15
• Luring a minor for sexual exploitation

Learn more about criminal legal deadlines pertaining to sexual crimes in the state of Arizona here.

Arizona Legal “Look Back” Window

Arizona lawmakers designed a one-year “look back” window in which any survivor of childhood sexual assault could file a civil lawsuit.

Arizona’s new law — HB 2466 — gives survivors of childhood sexual assault more time to file a civil lawsuit by extending the legal deadline. But, there are many survivors who would still be time-barred from taking legal action under the new deadline.

The “look back” window is another provision in HB 2466 to support survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The “look back” window in Arizona closed on December 31, 2020.

Several other states enacted similar windows. However, Arizona’s “look back” window had certain unique limitations:

• A plaintiff had to prove the claim with “clear and convincing evidence.” This guideline was included to protect people from false claims of abuse.
• The court may not award punitive damages to the plaintiff in these cases.

Survivors filing a claim during this window could also name a person who is not the abuser in the suit. However, the survivor had to prove the person “knew of or had actual notice of misconduct.” For example, this provision may apply in a case of clergy abuse if the abuse was reported to a clergy member and no action was taken to remedy the situation.

Arizona Dioceses Settlements

In the past couple of decades, the Dioceses of Tucson and Phoenix paid several major settlements to victims of child sex abuse:

• In 2002, the Tucson Diocese paid a $14 million settlement to 11 victims.
• In 2003, the Tucson Diocese paid a $1.8 million settlement to 5 victims.
• By 2004, the Phoenix Diocese paid $2.7 million for settlements and counseling services for victims.

The full extent of settlement payouts for either diocese is unknown as some settlement amounts were kept confidential.

Tucson Diocese Bankruptcy

In 2004, the Diocese of Tucson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to maintain operations while compensating abuse victims.

The Tucson Diocese was the second diocese in the United States to declare bankruptcy due to a large number of abuse lawsuits. Through bankruptcy court, the diocese paid $22.2 million in settlements to abuse victims.

The Diocese of Phoenix contributed $200,000 to the Tucson Diocese settlement fund as well. Before 1969, some churches in the current Phoenix Diocese were part of the Tucson Diocese. Because of this, some abusive priests in Arizona are on disclosed lists for both dioceses.

Learn more about Catholic Church bankruptcies here >

List of Priests Accused of Abuse in Arizona

This list includes clergy members and priests accused of abuse in Arizona. The list does not include church staff, volunteers or congregation members accused of abuse. It also does not include clergy members from religious orders outside of the Catholic Church.

If you believe an abusive priest acted in a different state, use our nationwide database of accused priests.

You may still have a claim against an abusive priest in Arizona, even if his name does not appear on our list. This list is likely to change as new information is discovered.

If you or a loved one has been abused by a clergy member in Arizona, please contact one of our lawyers about your legal rights. We are here to help you seek justice.

Arizona Priest Abuse Victim Resources

A victim of sexual abuse should not have to process and heal from the experience alone. There are resources all across the state of Arizona that offer help to victims. The table below lists some of the main victim resource centers in each Arizona county.

Arizona Sexual Violence Programs by County

County	Facility Name	Phone Number(s)
Apache	Northern Arizona Care and Services After Assault (NACASA)	Hotline: 1-800-224-1315 Office: 928-522-9460
Apache	Childhelp Mobile Advocacy Center of Northern Arizona	Office: 602-271-4500
Cochise	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
Coconino	Northern Arizona Care and Services After Assault (NACASA)	Hotline: 928-527-1900 Hotline: 1-877-634-2723 Office: 928-522-9460
Coconino	Victim Witness Services	Offices: 928-856-7676 | Flagstaff 928-523-2225 | NAU 928-645-4124 | Page
Coconino	Childhelp Mobile Advocacy Center of Northern Arizona	Office: 602-271-4500
Gila	Childhelp Mobile Advocacy Center of Northern Arizona	Office: 602-271-4500
Graham	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
Greenlee	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
La Paz	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
Maricopa	EMPACT Crisis Services	Hotline: 480-736-4949 Hotline: 866-205-5229
Maricopa	Southwest Family Advocacy Center	Office: 623-333-7900
Mohave	H.A.V.E.N. Family Resource Center	Office: 928-505-3153
Navajo	Northern Arizona Care and Services After Assault (NACASA)	Hotline: 1-800-224-1315 Office: 928.522.9460
Navajo	Childhelp Mobile Advocacy Center of Northern Arizona	Office: 602-271-4500
Pima	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
Pinal	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
Santa Cruz	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
Yavapai	Verde Valley Sanctuary	Hotline: 800-930-7233 Office: 928-634-2511
Yavapai	Yavapai Family Advocacy Center	Office: 928-775-0669
Yuma	Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA)	Hotline: 520-327-7273 Hotline: 800-400-1001 Office: 520-327-1171
Source:	A.S.K.

Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

The Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV) works with organizations that provide direct services to survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

To contact ACESDV, call the Sexual and Domestic Violence Services Helpline at 800-782-6400.

Arizona Clergy Abuse FAQs

How Do I Report Sexual Abuse By a Priest in Arizona?

To report any sexual abuse:

Call your local law enforcement agency. Depending on the situation, you may also be advised to seek medical attention.

To report sexual abuse of a minor:

Call the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline at 1-888-SOS-CHILD (1-888-767-2445) to report the abuse.

To report sexual abuse to the Diocese of Phoenix:

To report a case of abuse perpetrated by a clergy member, church employee or volunteer, contact the Office of Child and Youth Protection at 602-354-2396.

Learn more information about reporting abuse to the Phoenix Diocese here.

To report sexual abuse to the Diocese of Tucson:

You can report abuse to the Diocese of Tucson by contacting one of the following departments in the diocese.

Victim Assistance Program
Phone: 520-623-0344

Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection
Phone: 520-792-3410

To report sexual abuse to the Diocese of Gallup (NM):

Refer to the contact information below to report abuse committed by a priest, deacon or other staff member of the diocese.

Elizabeth Terrill | Victims Assistance Coordinator
Phone: 505-906-7357
Email Address: victimsassistance@dioceseofgallup.org

For more information about reporting abuse, visit our resource page>

Do I Have to Currently Live in Arizona to File an Arizona Clergy Abuse Lawsuit?

No. A plaintiff does not need to live in Arizona to file a clergy abuse lawsuit in the state. However, in order to file a lawsuit in the state, there must be some connection between the state of Arizona and the abuse.

Examples of a notable legal connection include the following:

• The abuse took place in Arizona.
• The responsible institution is headquartered in Arizona.

Identifying this connection can dictate how a legal team handles each specific case.

Who Can File on Behalf of a Victim?

There are several instances when a person or entity may legally act on a victim’s behalf:

• A victim’s estate may file a legal claim on behalf of the victim.
• Any person with legal authority may file a legal claim on behalf of the victim. This includes a parent, guardian or conservator.