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\nA Louisville priest is set to go on trial on sexual abuse charges nearly 15 years after allegations first surfaced from a man who said he was molested by the priest at a Catholic summer camp in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
\nA Louisville priest is set to go on trial on sexual abuse charges nearly 15 years after allegations first surfaced from a man who said he was molested by the priest at a Catholic summer camp in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
The Rev. Joseph Hemmerle will face sexual abuse and sodomy charges at the trial beginning Monday in Meade County, where he ran the boys summer camp for decades.<\/p>\n
Hemmerle is facing another trial in April over similar abuse allegations from a second alleged victim who attended Camp Tall Trees as a child.<\/p>\n
The first allegations against Hemmerle were brought by Michael Norris in a 2001 letter Norris wrote to Hemmerle and Louisville archdiocese officials. His letter was sent just months before a slew of plaintiffs sued the archdiocese, alleging sexual abuse by dozens of priests. The archdiocese settled a class action lawsuit with 243 plaintiffs in 2003 for more than $25 million, but Norris never joined the suit.<\/p>\n
The name of the second victim who alleged abuse by Hemmerle has not been made public. Norris said he has spoken with the second victim, who also alleges he was sexually abused by Hemmerle at Camp Tall Trees decades ago.<\/p>\n
The Archdiocese of Louisville placed Hemmerle on administrative leave after his indictment in 2014, and church officials said they fully cooperated with law enforcement. Archdiocese spokeswoman Cecelia Price said Hemmerle remains on leave and is not allowed to present himself publicly as a priest. She said his status will be updated when the criminal cases are finished.<\/p>\n
The case sat dormant until a second alleged victim came forward in 2014, and Hemmerle was indicted on sexual abuse and sodomy charges based on the allegations from Norris and the other man.<\/p>\n
Hemmerle stepped down as director of the camp in 2000 and the archdiocese closed it in 2002.
\nSource: AP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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