Sweeping investigation reveals decades of scandals within Catholic Diocese of Peoria

The Illinois Attorney General's Office released a sweeping report last month which detailed sexual abuse claims against 450 clerics within the state's Catholic churches victimizing almost 2,000 children.

The Catholic Diocese of Peoria had a litany of transgressions cited by the attorney general's office, including covering up instances of sexual abuse, mishandling cases and mistreating survivors.

Here's what we found about the Peoria diocese's connections to the investigation.

51 clerics cited in investigation

There were 51 former clerics who were linked to abuse of children over the past 70 years, according to the attorney general's office. Those clerics in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria encompassed 26 counties, stretching from Rock Island in northwest Illinois to Vermillion County on the Indiana border.

Story: The list of 51 Peoria Catholic Diocese clergy named in a 2023 report on child sex abuse

Former bishop lambasted by attorney general in report

Archbishop John Myers, the former leader of the Peoria diocese from 1990 to 2002, was heavily criticized by the attorney general's report. After Myers took over leadership of the church, 13 clerics were accused of sexually abusing minors.

Story: Unthinkable horrors: Inside the scathing report on abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria

Bishop Daniel Jenky promised changes, fell short of promises

The attorney general's office also found that former Bishop Daniel Jenky, who followed Myers in leading the church, fell short of delivering on promises he made to address sexual abuse of children within the diocese.

Jenky created a commission to investigate sexual abuse. While the commission uncovered some names, it failed in identifying all the abusers within the church. Jenky was also accused of mistreating a survivor.

Story: 'Inexplicably failed': How the Catholic Diocese of Peoria failed to fully address sex abuse

'From playboy to child abuser'

Kenneth J. Roberts, a priest from the Catholic Diocese in Dallas, once wrote a book on his life called" Playboy to Priest" detailing his journey a party lover to a cleric in the Catholic Church.

Roberts had connections to Illinois through a retreat, where he was accused of sexually abusing children.

Story: From 'playboy' to child abuser: Texas priest infamous for time at Illinois retreat

Priests leave trail of abuse from Pekin to Bloomington

A boy given the pseudonym "Nathan" by the Illinois Attorney General's Office told investigators that whenever he has to tell his story of abuse at the hands of two Catholic clerics he doesn't "sleep well for several nights. I just feel so much shame and guilt."

Those priests, William Harbert and M. Duane Leclercq, abused him and other boys at Trinity High School in Bloomington in the 1960's and later in Pekin, according to the attorney general's office

Story: 2 priests left trail of abuse from Pekin to Bloomington, investigation reveals

Illinois priest instigates sex 'everywhere' with young boy

The church choir, the school cafeteria, an underground tunnel between the school and church, the teacher’s desk and even the cemetery. These are the places a victim called "Peter" says Father George Hiland would have sex with him in the 1960s.

Hiland was supposed to be a positive male figure in the boy's life after his father died.

Story: Attorney General details how Illinois priest sexually abused middle school boy in Streator

'He messed up my life'

There are seven known abuse victims of Father John C. Anderson who operated in Chillicothe. Two of those victims, given the pseudonyms "Paul" and "Adam," shared their stories of abuse with the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

Adam said the priest "messed up my life. This truly ruined a young kid’s mind. And it didn’t just ruin my childhood. It also ruined my manhood as I got older... I started drinking a lot, and I think my emotions were getting to me because I had done this for so long. I called the diocese to let it all out.”

Story: 'He messed up my life': 2 Chillicothe boys endured repeated sexual abuse by priest

Diocese does not immediately acknowledge convicted abuser

Samuel Pusateri was convicted of sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy in Peru, Illinois. But still, the Catholic Diocese of Peoria did not publicly acknowledge him on their list of know abusers.

Even after Pusateri's conviction and prison sentence, Peoria Bishop John Myers seemed to take special attention in protecting him.

Story: Peru priest among those named in Illinois Attorney General's report on sexual abuse

Once revered priest connected to many cases of abuse

Norman D. Goodman had risen in the ranks of the Catholic Church to the status of monsignor, a title bestowed by the pope. As such, he was protected by his employer when allegations of abuse arose – there were a total of 19 confirmed cases, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s report on abusive priests.

More: After years of denial, Peoria diocese admitted extensive sexual abuse by Illinois monsignor

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Investigation finds decades of scandals at Catholic Diocese of Peoria