A Michigan priest pleaded guilty to sexual abuse this week, after preying on a 5-year-old kid following a family burial in 1987.
The 84-year-old Vincent DeLorenzo, a longtime server of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, entered a plea of guilty to one count of attempted first-degree criminal sexual conduct, as confirmed by the state’s attorney general. The prosecution withdrawn charges related to the 1995–2000 sexual assault of another 5-year-old boy.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated, “Our team continues to work day and night to bring an end to an era of abuse that has hidden in plain sight for far too long and provide justice to those who have suffered years of unimaginable trauma. This guilty plea will hopefully close this painful chapter and open the opportunity for much-needed healing for those victimized by DeLorenzo.”
DeLorenzo will likely receive a five-year probationary period when he appears in court again on June 13, the first year of which he will spend in the Genesee County Jail, according to Nessel’s office. For the rest of his life, he will also need to register as a sex offender.
DeLorenzo will also be required to make restitution, go through counseling, and, deliberately listen if a victim impact statement is given at the sentence.
It was not immediately confirmed if the now 40-year-old man whom DeLorenzo admitted abusing when he was five, will attend the sentencing.
DeLorenzo acknowledged assaulting the child on Tuesday when he appeared before Genesee Circuit Judge Brian S. Pickell, and was accompanied by his lawyer, Michael Manley.
He explained to the judge that the boy had been misbehaving, which was the reason why he had been requested to talk to him.
Apparently, the priest had more than two accusers, and after they discussed, the prosecutors presented DeLorenzo with the plea deal.
Furthermore, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), applauded Nessel for prosecuting DeLorenzo, however, claimed that the sentence meted out to the former priest did not correspond to the crime.
In a statement, SNAP pointed out that, “It is always disheartening when predators avoid further justice through legal loopholes. We truly hope that the sentencing judge sends a very strong message in this case and points out that regardless of age, justice will prevail.”
On the presented list of priests who have been credibly accused by the Lansing diocese, DeLorenzo was ordained in 1965 and excommunicated in 2002. Before moving to the Ocala region of Florida, where he was detained in May 2019, he served in at least two parishes within the diocese.
First-degree criminal sexual assault does not have a statute of limitations in Michigan, but in situations like DeLorenzo’s, a suspect can only be charged within 10 years after the incident or before the alleged victim becomes 21.
Nessel was able to charge DeLorenzo despite the fact that he had admitted guilt to a crime that occurred 36 years ago because the priest fled the state after the incident happened, which stopped the statute of limitations clock from running.
