ST. LOUIS — A man allegedly abused by a St. Louis priest described his experience for the first time on Thursday, claiming Missouri law works for the wellbeing of pedophiles rather than the protection of children.
The man, named Jonathan Dean, launched one of the largest lawsuits ever against the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Archdiocese agreed to settle with the sex abuse survivor for $1 million this past summer.
In his lawsuit, Dean alleged a former priest abused him when he was a boy in 1993, marking the second suit involving former Priest Gary Wolken. Wolken was previously convicted in 2002 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for first-degree sodomy of a boy over a period of three years. The archdiocese settled a $1.6 million civil abuse suit in that case in 2004.
"The Archdiocese and the legal community have the attitude that they can treat victims and survivors of childhood sexual assault like they don't matter," Dean said in a statement sent to 5 On Your Side. "I won't stand for it."
Dean, now an attorney, claims that the Archdiocese uses "hardball legal tactics" to harass victims who file lawsuits against them. He also said that Missouri law is inadequate for victims of clergy sex abuse, specifically questioning why Missouri has a statute of limitations on cases of child sexual assault.
"Missouri courts are complicit with the perpetrator's misuse of the statute of limitations," Dean said. "In case after case, Missouri courts have sided with the perpetrators of sexual violence and have thrown credible victims and credible claims out of court forever."
At a news conference, Dean said this was a personal message for him and it was a way to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder.
"When I was sexually assaulted as a child, my world stopped being all that made childhood a special and carefree time," he said. "I was traumatized and that changed the course and trajectory of my life.
Dean described his teenage years and the start of adulthood as being a time consumed with addictions and self-destructive behaviors.
He said, his memory repression broke after finishing law school.
Dean admitted, he almost didn't go through with speaking out.
"It was building a network of support and community. I found the right people in my life to give me support," Dean said.
However, the process wasn't easy.
After hours of depositions and years of waiting mixed with a pandemic stalling the court systems, a settlement was reached with the Archdiocese in June of this year.
Dean said the timing was everything.
"After negotiating my case to a settlement with the smart and aggressive attorneys from the Archdiocese, they made a judgement that despite their efforts to dismiss my case because it presented such a liability to their client, they needed to settle it for a million dollars," Dean said, "One day after that, the court, still unaware about the settlement, ordered that my case be dismissed based on the statue of limitations."
The deal was done though.
Amy Robbins with the Child Advocacy Center said that victims often have a delayed disclosure, or even wait years to tell about their victimization.
"But those barriers are even stronger for our male victims. A lot of that comes from just social stigmas," Robbins said. "It comes from the thought that they should have fought back or should have resisted. And a lot of times their sexuality is questioned from the mere fact that they were a victim. So those barriers play huge into deciding whether they choose to come forward as a victim."
Dean thanked his former teacher who previously reported Wolken and a Chesterfield detective, who filed a report about his experience.
Dean also shared a warning for everyone, saying that people have someone in their life who is a survivor of sexual assault whether they know it or not.
"If you are given the opportunity to provide that person support, please take it," Dean said. "If they come to you and they tell you what happened, how they were victimized, how they were traumatized, how they are struggling, please listen."
Watch Dean's full press conference below.
Wolken was suspended by the archdiocese when sex abuse claims against him first came to light in 2002 and then-Cardinal Raymond Burke took action to permanently remove him from clergy -- a lengthy process the Archdiocese said was completed in 2007.
The Archdiocese sent the following statement after Dean's press conference:
"The Archdiocese of St. Louis treats every accusation of sexual abuse with utmost seriousness. Regardless of any applicable statute of limitations, the Archdiocese collaborates with former FBI and other law enforcement personnel, independent of the Church, to thoroughly investigate claims and respond appropriately. It’s important to note whether or not victims of abuse file a lawsuit, they may still seek and receive assistance from the Catholic Church.
"In this particular case, Mr. Dean opted to engage legal representation and filed a lawsuit anonymously instead of approaching the Archdiocese directly for assistance. When a lawsuit is initiated, the Archdiocese is constrained from employing its voluntary approach to addressing these issues. All communications must then occur through legal representatives and the courts.
"The significant passage of time from the alleged acts to the filing of the lawsuit also poses a challenge in uncovering the truth. Despite the absence of criminal charges and other mitigating factors, it was the archdiocese which proposed a settlement process with an experienced mediator through which a mutual agreement between Mr. Dean and the Archdiocese of St. Louis was reached.
"We continue to pray for all victims of sexual abuse, that they may find comfort and healing. Please keep all those who are exploited in your prayers, especially children and vulnerable adults."
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV or the Apple TV app store.
