Take Action: Report Abuse to Your Attorney General
Insist that the full power of the law be used to hold institutions accountable for enabling, concealing, and perpetuating abuse.
Since the landmark 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury report into clergy sexual abuse, at least 23 other states have launched their own statewide investigations into abuse within the Catholic Church and other faith-based institutions. Although these inquiries differ widely in scope, intensity, and their ability to compel the release of critical documents, they have reignited nationwide demands for stronger laws—ones that make it easier for survivors to seek justice in court and require mandatory reporting of abuse. SNAP urges survivors and their loved ones to report abuse whenever possible and ensure their experiences are formally documented, helping build a record that can drive reform and accountability.
Do you have information about local investigations into clergy abuse and cover-up?
Contact our team to share updates from your area.
Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Investigations by State
Watch an episode of Alaska Insight discussing the lasting effect of sexual abuse by Jesuit priests in rural Alaska:
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy and faith leader abuse in Alaska.
Though state officials have not taken action, a comprehensive report was carried out by the program Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Read the story here.
Contact Alaska’s State Office of Victims’ Rights:
1-844-754-3460
Watch a local news program with Phoenix-based SNAP volunteer Mary O’Day discussing clergy sexual abuse in Arizona.
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy and faith leader abuse in Arizona.
Representatives of SNAP met with the Arizona Attorney General in 2019 to call for an investigation with a hotline for survivors.
Read the story here.
Child sex crimes can be reported to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office through an online form.
There is no official investigation into clergy and faith in Arkansas.
In 2018, then Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced her office would coordinate with the Diocese of Little Rock to review abuse claims. The review resulted in the addition of only two priests to the diocese’s list of credibly accused clergy. SNAP volunteers in Arkansas released a public statement identifying additional abusers and calling on the Diocese of Little Rock to update their lists.
Read the statement here.
In 2018, former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra asked clergy abuse survivors and anyone with information to make a report to the California DOJ. The following year, Becerra sent a letter to each of California’s 12 Catholic dioceses requesting that all documents related to abuse allegations be preserved.
Though California has passed legislation beneficial to abuse survivors such as abolishing the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims in 2023, and adding “lookback” windows where people abused as children and as adults can file cases in instances where they were previously time-barred, current California AG Rob Bonta has failed to provide updates into the statewide clergy abuse investigation.
In 2023, representatives of SNAP sent a letter to Bonta requesting a preliminary report and a meeting with California survivors. They never received a response.
At this time, California’s online clergy abuse reporting tool is no longer available, however, survivors and anyone with information can use this email address:
ClergyAbuse@doj.ca.gov
After a statewide investigation, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser released a 263-page report in October 2019 detailing clergy sexual abuse and cover-up in Colorado’s Catholic dioceses.
The investigation determined that, on average, it took 19.5 years before a Colorado Diocese concretely restricted an abusive priest’s authority after receiving an allegation that he was sexually abusing children.
A follow-up report released in December 2020 identified an additional 46 claims of abuse in Denver and Pueblo dioceses over last 70 years.
Clergy abuse survivors can still make reports to the Colorado AG’s office.
SNAP volunteers in Connecticut have organized public demonstrations calling on state officials to undertake an investigation of how the Catholic Church has handled sexual abuse allegations in Connecticut dioceses.
In February 2019, the Norwich diocese released a list of 45 diocese-affiliated clergy who have had “allegations of substance” levied against them. But a local paper, The Day, identified at least six more priests and brothers who have also been accused of sexually assaulting minors who were excluded from the list.
Contact the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice to make a complaint:
1-860-258-5800
View a 2011 press conference featuring volunteers with SNAP, Voice of the Faithful, and BishopAccountability.Org regarding personnel records of dozens of abusive priests released as part of sexual abuse lawsuits filed against the Diocese of Wilmington.
In 2018, the Delaware Department of Justice announced an investigation into potential criminal conduct by priests or other employees of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
The Department of Justice issued a subpoena on September 2018 for a broad range of diocesan records covering decades.
There is no official hotline for clergy abuse survivors and a report has not been released.
Victims can call the Delaware Department of Justice Criminal Division:
1-302-577-8500
SNAP Florida volunteer Eugene Rosenquest reacts to the results of the statewide clergy abuse investigation.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi concluded the state’s two-year clergy abuse investigation in December 2020 without a single criminal prosecution.
Though the attorney general’s office received at least 300 tips and identified nearly 100 priests, no names were released as part of the initiative.
Though the clergy abuse hotline is closed, victims can call the Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs:
1-850-414-3300
Watch SNAP and Georgia clergy abuse survivors’ reactions to the announcement of Attorney General Carr’s statewide investigation into clergy abuse.
In March 2023, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia released a 267-page report on clergy abuse following several years of investigation.
The attorney general’s investigation was met with criticism from SNAP and Georgia survivors when it was opened in 2019 after Attorney General Carr announced he would be conducting the investigation in cooperation with the Catholic Church.
Georgia clergy abuse survivors claimed AG Carr declined to meet with them to discuss the investigation.
For more information about reporting abuse in Georgia, call Georgia’s Department of Family & Children Services:
1-855-422-4453
Despite a 2019 Senate resolution calling for a statewide investigation, the state has never opened an official investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse.
A 2018 report identified the Diocese of Honolulu as a “dumping ground for troubled clerics from the mainland,” stating, “the unique geography, location and isolation of the Hawaiian Islands created an environment that protected child sexual abusers allowing them to flourish at the expense of the children.”
Visit the State of Hawaii Criminal Justice Division to learn more about reporting abuse.
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse in Idaho.
In 2004, Boise Bishop Michael Driscoll said there had been 12 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse between 1950 and 2002. However, a list released in 2019 only includes nine priests who had credible allegations made against them between 1950 and 2002. When questioned by the Associated Press regarding the discrepancy, the diocese declined to answer.
Complaints can be made to the Idaho Attorney General’s office by phone at 208-334-2400 or through an online reporting tool.
In 2023, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul concluded a multi-year investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Illinois’ six Catholic dioceses. The investigation revealed claims by at least 1,997 survivors who were sexually abused by the 451 Catholic clerics and religious brothers who are now publicly disclosed in Illinois as substantiated child sex abusers.
At the start of the investigation, Illinois dioceses had only disclosed the names of 103 substantiated offenders.
Though the investigation has concluded, abuse can still be reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services:
1-800-252-2873
In 2019, former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announced a website and hotline where victims could report clergy and faith leader abuse. The website and hotline have since been shut down, and a formal report was never released.
Curtis Hill was later named in a civil suit after an Indiana lawmaker and three staffers reported that Hill had groped the women at a party in 2018.
The Indiana Attorney General’s office has removed all references to clergy abuse from its website, instead publishing a “Churches’ Bill of Rights.”
For more information about reporting crimes in Indiana, victims can call 1-800-457-8283 or text 1-888-311-1846.
After three years of investigation, former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller released his report on clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in 2021.
SNAP criticized the Iowa AG’s office for refusing to prosecute or name accused priests that were active at the time of the report’s release.
For 24/7 victim support, call the Iowa Victim Service Call Center at 1-800-770-1650 or text “IOWAHELP” to 20121
In 2023, outgoing Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt released a report summarizing the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s four-year inquiry into child sexual abuse in four Catholic dioceses and a breakaway Catholic sect in the state.
SNAP criticized the AG’s office, calling on the new AG Kris Kobach to release the full 350-page report saying, “We in SNAP are very disappointed, to say the least, in the recent summary provided by the former Kansas attorney general. We believe, quite frankly, that there are dozens of potentially dangerous child molesting clergy who the current attorney general knows about.”
Read a summary of the report here:
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse in Kentucky.
In 2019, two laws that would have expanded the Attorney General’s powers to investigate clergy abuse stalled in the legislative session.
Visit the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General’s Resources for Victims and Advocates to learn more about reporting abuse:
In response to reports that high level executives of the New Orleans Saints football team and New Orleans Pelicans basketball teams collaborated with Archdiocese of New Orleans officials for public relations assistance related to cover-up of sex crimes, SNAP called on the NFL to investigate.
Former Louisiana Attorney General claimed his office did not have the authority or resources to investigate clergy sexual abuse at the statewide level.
In 2022, the FBI announced an investigation into the Archdiocese of New Orleans using the Mann Act, a more than century-old, anti-sex trafficking law that prohibits taking anyone across state lines for illicit sex. In 2024, Louisiana State Police carried out a search warrant at the Archdiocese of New Orleans seeking communication between local church leaders and the Vatican concerning sexual abuse. Previous lawsuits uncovered evidence of deep cooperation between church officials and business and community leaders, including personnel of the New Orleans Saints who used their NFL emails to advise church officials on “messaging” related to clergy abused of sexual abuse.
Lawmakers passed the Louisiana Child Victims Act in 2021 abolishing the statute of limitations for civil suits for child sexual abuse. Though the three-year “lookback” window allowing survivors previously barred from filing a case to pursue justice was set to expire in 2024, new legislation has extended the window through June 14, 2027.
Incidents of child sexual abuse can be reported to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, through their reporting hotline at 855-4LA-KIDS (52-5437).
In 2004, the Maine Attorney General’s Office released findings of a statewide investigation into 75 years of abuse allegations by Maine priests.
That investigation found the diocese failed to notify parishioners of allegations against priests, putting children at risk of abuse, but did not hold dioceses criminally liable for the abuse.
The full report can be accessed here:
Sexual abuse can be reported in the State of Maine by calling the Office of Child and Family Services:
1-800-452-1999
Watch Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown speak about the release of an interim report into the state’s investigation into clergy sexual abuse:
“This is a full accounting. There are details of repeated tortuous, terrorizing, depraved abuse…We will do everything we can to bring those abusers and those who enabled them to justice.”
Former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh launched a statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse in 2019 and interviewed hundreds of victims and witnesses in addition to reviewing over 100,000 pages of church documents before current Attorney General Anthony Brown released a partially-redacted version of the final report in 2023.
The contents of the report have been the subject of ongoing lawsuits for years, with the Maryland Supreme Court hearing arguments in 2025 in three separate cases brought by current or former church officials whose names would be included in the AG’s unredacted report on abuse within the Baltimore archdiocese if permitted. These officials are named as enabling or failing to prevent abuse.
To report sexual abuse in Maryland, email report@oag.state.md.us or call the hotline at 1-410-576-6312.
In 2019, former Massachusetts Attorney General, now Governor Maura Healey, opened an investigation into clergy sexual abuse within the Worcester, Fall River and Springfield dioceses. This investigation was intended to build on the report into abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston released by former Attorney General Thomas Reilly in 2003.
Current Attorney General Andrea Campbell has said that the report on the investigation is ready to be released, but that the AG’s office must have “court approval” to share with the public.
Survivors can contact Massachusetts Victim Service Unit by calling 1-978-740-6440.
Watch an update given by AG Dana Nessel after the release of her office’s report into clergy abuse in the Grand Rapids diocese:
Read SNAP’s official statement on the the Diocese of Grand Rapids report.
In 2018, former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette launched a statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, conducting raids on diocesan offices to retrieve documents related to abuse and cover-up.
Current Michigan AG Dana Nessel has continued the investigation, giving frequent updates on the progress including resources allocated, documents reviewed, and arrests of perpetrators.
Five of seven reports have been released to the public:
- Diocese of Marquette
- Diocese of Gaylord
- Diocese of Kalamazoo
- Diocese of Lansing
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Survivors or anyone with information can make a report by calling the investigation hotline at 844-324-3374 (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.), emailing aginvestigations@michigan.gov, or using the online reporting tool.
There is no official investigation into clergy and faith in Minnesota.
Minnesota Public Radio has published extensive research on abuse in the Catholic Church in a report titled “Betrayed by Silence.”
This reporting includes documents related to internal management of abuse claims, a guide to terminology used in clergy abuse cases, and a map and directory of accused clerics in Minnesota.
Another joint investigation between ProPublica and the Minnesota Star Tribune revealed extensive research on abuse and cover-up in the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church community in Duluth.
Victims can contact the Minnesota Attorney General’s office by calling 1-651-296-3353 in the Twin Cities and 1-800-657-3787 in other areas of the state.
“I guess there’s a child inside of me that still wants to sit there and learn.”
Despite survivors’ calls for investigation, the Mississippi attorney general’s office has not initiated any form of official investigation. In 2019, the Diocese of Jackson released a list of “credibly accused” priests after an internal investigation that was met with criticism from SNAP volunteers for leaving at least four names of alleged perpetrators off the list.
In 2020, Congressman Bennie Thompson wrote to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting a formal investigation into the treatment of two clergy abuse victims from Greenwood, Mississippi who received settlements that were “far less than what many other sex abuse victims have received through legal settlements with the Catholic church,” because of their race and economic status.
In 2021, an attorney for the victims filed a federal lawsuit against the Franciscans alleging racial discrimination in the management of the victims’ cases.
Survivors in Mississippi can seek help by contacting the Bureau of Victim Assistance at victimassistance@ago.ms.gov.
SNAP volunteers spoke to media at the time of Missouri’s AG investigation stating that the attorney general had not responded to SNAP’s offer to provide evidence and information to assist the investigation.
In 2019, former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt released his report on clergy sexual abuse following a statewide investigation that had been launched by his predecessor, former Attorney General Josh Hawley in 2018.
SNAP criticized Schmitt’s report for omitting details of the crimes and names of the perpetrators and those who enabled them in a statement saying, “The report released by AG Schmitt falls dramatically short of efforts by attorneys general in states like Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania…Those states used search warrants, subpoenas, and arrests to get the information they needed: in Missouri, the AG relied on cooperation with church officials.”
For assistance, survivors can contact the Missouri Office of Victims of Crime at 1-573-526-1464.
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse in Montana.
Reports can be made to the Montana Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services by calling 1-406-444-3653 or by emailing dojovs@mt.gov.
In December 2021, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson released the final report from an investigation into clergy sexual abuse that began in August of 2018.
The investigation revealed 258 victims reported credible allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct across three dioceses in the state.
View the Attorney General’s report here:
To reach the Victim/Witness Advocate with the Nebraska Department of Justice, email ago.info.help@Nebraska.gov.
There has been no formal investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse in Nevada. While the Las Vegas and Reno Catholic dioceses have released lists of “credibly accused” priests, survivors have protested that many names of offenders have been left off the lists.
The Nevada attorney general’s office has published a Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights and created an Advisory Committee on Rights of Survivors of Sexual Assault.
To speak with a Sexual Assault Response Advocate in the state of Nevada call 1-775-883-7654 or text 20121.
In 2009, former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte released files on dozens of sexual abuse accusations against clergy members, including 27 clerics whose names had not previously been made public.
BishopAccountability.Org has published a summary of the report including the AG report, audit list, and investigative files.
For help, survivors can contact the Office of Victim/Witness Assistance (OVWA) by emailing OVWA@doj.nh.gov.
Read New Jersey SNAP volunteer Mark Crawford’s op-ed about the statewide clergy abuse investigation.
“Delay has not served justice; it has denied it. Each year of inaction compounds the harm and deepens the message that institutional reputation matters more than human life.”
In 2018, former New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced the formation of a Clergy Abuse Task Force to investigate sexual abuse and cover-up in New Jersey’s Catholic dioceses. The investigation was halted for seven years after the Diocese of Camden sued to stop it.
In June 2025, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that the state’s grand jury investigation could proceed. Survivors won another significant victory in November 2025 when a New Jersey Superior Court judge ordered Seton Hall to turn over more than 20,000 pages of documents to plaintiffs in a case against the Archdiocese of Newark.
Survivors and witnesses can report abuse by speaking to a live representative 24/7 when calling the Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-855-363-6548 or using the online reporting tool:
As part of a 2022 settlement agreement between the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and abuse survivors, documents including deposition transcripts, personnel files, meeting minutes, and proofs of claims were archived online and made available to the public with redactions to protect the privacy of claimants and their families. The archive is stored within the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections.
In 2018, former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced a statewide clergy abuse investigation asking the state’s three Catholic dioceses for any material related to allegations of abuse by priests, calling New Mexico a “dumping ground” for abusers.
There is no available report on the investigation, and no available information about reporting clergy sexual abuse on the website of current New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez.
For resources and contact information for sexual assault victims in New Mexico, visit the NM DOJ’s Victim Services department:
In 2018, former New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced a statewide investigation into clergy abuse, opening a hotline and website as well as issuing subpoenas to all eight Catholic dioceses in New York.
As part of the investigation, current New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued reports and lawsuits against two dioceses.
Diocese of Brooklyn – A 2024 report found that the diocese “failed to consistently comply with its own policies and procedures for responding to sexual abuse.” In an agreement with the state, the diocese must now allow oversight by an independent monitor and implement more stringent policies for handling sexual abuse cases.
Diocese of Buffalo – The state of New York and the diocese reached a settlement agreement in 2022 following a 2020 lawsuit alleging the Buffalo Diocese persistently failed to address the sexual abuse, evading the reforms it publicly adopted for investigating, reviewing, and responding to abuse complaints.
Investigations into the Archdiocese of New York and the dioceses of Albany, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Rockville Centre and Syracuse have not formally concluded. The AG’s office has faced criticism for the lack of criminal charges and progress on additional reports.
The clergy abuse reporting page is no longer active on the AG’s website, but survivors and witnesses can call the general helpline:
1-800-771-7755
View a report on the history of clergy abuse in North Dakota from Bismarck’s KFYR TV Station.
Former North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem announced an investigation of clergy abuse in the state’s two Catholic dioceses in 2019, meeting with bishops in Fargo and Bismarck.
Stenehjem concluded the investigation 18 months later, with no prosecutions and only one additional priest identified, a Benedictine priest omitted from the diocesan lists.
The AG’s office and Diocese of Bismarck were criticized after it was made public that the only living perpetrator on the list resided next to a local preschool.
After his unexpected death in 2022, Stenehjem was criticized for deleting voicemails and lying to federal investigators about conversations with his close friend, state Sen. Ray Holmberg, who pleaded guilty to child sex crimes in 2023.
Survivors and witnesses can report abuse by emailing ndag@nd.gov or calling the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 1-800-472-2185.
Watch Ohio survivors and advocates at a 2023 press conference calling on Attorney General Dave Yost to investigate clergy sexual abuse:
The state of Ohio has never opened a formal investigation in clergy sexual abuse despite years of activism by Ohio survivors and SNAP volunteers. In 2023, alongside Greater Cincinnati Voice of the Faithful and Ohioans for Child Protection, SNAP called for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to investigate abuse and cover-up in the state’s six Catholic dioceses.
Survivors or witnesses can contact the Ohio AG’s office by calling the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) tip line at 1-855-224-6446 or filing a report online. There is an option to submit online reports anonymously.
There has never been a formal investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Oklahoma. Both the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa have released reports naming credibly accused clergy, however, survivors have criticized both church-commissioned investigations for their lack of independence.
“I frankly think it is misleading to even use the word investigation,” [former SNAP Director] David Clohessy said. “I can claim I have the cleanest house on the planet but if I only let you in my living room you would be well served to assume the worst about my basement and my attic.”
Oklahoma has a 24-hour SafeLine for victims of abuse: 1-800-522-SAFE (7233)
There has never been a formal state investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Oregon.
The Archdiocese of Portland was the first in the United States to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2004, effectively stopping a $130 million lawsuit, and concluding in 2007 with a $75 million settlement for 175 victims.
The Jesuits West Province, which encompasses the former Oregon Province, has released a list of credibly accused Jesuits.
Former Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum stated in 2020 that the state was looking at steps, including the use of lists of credibly accused clergy, to screen applicants for state teaching, foster care and therapy licenses.
Survivors or witnesses can call the Oregon DOJ’s Main Referral Line at 1-503-378-4400 or email AttorneyGeneral@doj.oregon.gov.
Years after the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report, lawmakers and abuse survivors are disappointed with the lack of progress in legislative measures to bring justice to survivors and consequences for those responsible for the abuse and cover-up.
Former Pennsylvania Assembly Member William Wachob wrote an open letter to Governor Josh Shapiro in January 2026, calling on him to take more aggressive action to fight for passage of a look-back window that would allow abuse survivors previously barred from filing civil suits to bring seek justice in court.
“Survivors of clergy sexual abuse believe it is long past time for you to finish the work you started years ago. It is time for you to “Get Stuff Done” for the people who trusted you, supported you, and stood with you for more than seven years. All it takes is forcing a simple vote.”
From 2016 to 2018, former Pennsylvania Attorney General, now Governor Josh Shapiro, conducted an investigation into clergy abuse and cover-up in six of Pennsylvania’s Catholic dioceses, having previously investigated the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. The broadest examination of clergy sexual abuse in the U.S. to date, the report found that at least 301 priests abused over 1,000 children, with the dioceses moving offenders from parish to parish, returning dangerous individuals to active ministry after being “laundered” in church-run treatment facilities.
The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office continues to list a phone number for survivors and witnesses with information about abuse and cover-up:
1-888-538-8541
In January 2026, Attorney General Peter Naronha announced that he would soon release his complete report into clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence saying the Catholic Church in Rhode Island, in a determined effort to “hide scandal,” allowed “dozens of priests” to abuse “hundreds of children,” even after they had received credible reports of abuse.
Naronha began his probe in 2019 with the Rhode Island State Police, reviewing abuse complaints collected by the Diocese of Providence since 1950.
The Rhode Island State Police urges victims of abuse or anyone with information to call the hotline:
1-401-764-0142
Despite repeated calls from survivors, the state of South Carolina has never conducted a formal investigation into clergy sexual abuse.
Victims and witnesses can report sexual violence to the South Carolina attorney general’s office using the following number:
1-803-734-3243
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse in South Dakota.
As part of former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland’s probe into abuse in Native American boarding schools, survivors from South Dakota testified about abuse at Catholic-run boarding schools as part of the “Road to Healing” initiative.
Contact South Dakota Crime Victim Services to speak with a Victim Witness specialist:
1-605-773-3331
SNAP volunteers in Tennessee call for an independent investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church:
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse in Tennessee.
Contact victim information services to speak with a victim liaison:
1-615-741-8109
Watch a video featuring excerpts of letters from survivors in Texas demanding an independent investigation into clergy abuse and cover-up:
Despite relentless calls from survivors, the public, and even law enforcement to investigate clergy abuse, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has claimed his office is unable to conduct such an effort.
Hundreds of citizens have written letter to Paxton’s office demanding accountability for abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church. One letter to AG Paxton came from a Catholic high school senior in an AP Government class:
“Texas citizens deserve to be able to go to church feeling comfortable, and children and victims of abuse deserve to see the government put effort into holding their perpetrators accountable.”
Survivors can call the Texas Crime Victim Services Center at 1-512 936-1200.
The FBI has announced an investigation into abuse by members of the clergy in the North Texas region between 1985 and the present. Survivors and witnesses are urged to report abuse online or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Though there is no formal investigation, there have been many recent key developments and revelations related to abuse and cover-up in Utah’s faith-based institutions:
- A 2023 AP Investigation uncovered audio recordings demonstrating cover-up of abuse perpetrated by a bishop by senior officials in the LDS church in Utah.
- In 2024, the Utah legislature passed a bill protecting faith leaders from civil or criminal liability for reporting abuse, but still upholding the clergy penitent privilege, exempting clergy from a requirement to report abuse.
- In 2026, a former priest of the Diocese of Salt Lake City reported that a former vicar general of the diocese had “tampered with and destroyed official church documents,” including priest personnel files.
Utah’s Attorney General has not confirmed an official statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse, however the state’s website includes urges victims to report clergy sexual abuse to the 24/7 Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-323-3237 or by calling the AG’s office during business hours at during business hours at 1-801-281-1200.
Survivors of abuse in the Diocese of Salt Lake as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) have long fought for independent investigation and legislative measures that would bring justice to survivors and accountability to all those responsible for enabling and covering-up abuse. Despite calls for more aggressive action at the state level, the AG’s office has told media, “We always let local law enforcement investigate these claims.”
In 2025, survivors announced the dedication of a new memorial healing space at the former site of St. Joseph’s orphanage. The memorial includes a sculptural arbor and stones etched with the words of former orphanage residents.
The orphanage’s overseers, the Diocese of Burlington, the Sisters of Providence, and Vermont Catholic Charities, refused to meet with survivors as a group or consider requests for records or restitution.
Survivor Debi Gevry read a poem at the memorial’s dedication, saying:
“I may never be completely whole, but I will not be silenced.”
In 2018, former Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan announced that his office would open an investigation into abuse in the Diocese of Burlington, including at the St. Joseph’s orphanage. This announcement came just days after Buzzfeed published an explosive report detailing horrific sexual and physical abuse at the orphanage.
In 2020, the attorney general’s office published its report on the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Task Force Investigation.
Survivors can contact the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services at the following number:
1-800-750-1253
In 2018, former Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced his office was opening an investigation into abuse and cover-up in the state’s two Catholic dioceses.
When the Diocese of Arlington and the Diocese of Richmond released lists of “credibly accused” priests in 2019, Herring’s office declined to comment on any connection to the investigation. Survivors criticized the church lists for lack of details and independent oversight.
When Herring’s term ended in 2022, he had not published a report on his clergy abuse investigation. Neither his direct successor, Jason Miyares, or current Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones have taken public action on the investigation.
Though the attorney general’s website is no longer active, the Virginia State Police provide the option to make a report of clergy sexual abuse:
Watch SNAP volunteer Mary Dispenza speak at a press conference regarding the Washington State clergy abuse investigation:
“I was raped by a parish priest when I was seven. It’s a long time coming to this point where I’m whole and here and able to speak. Most of us lose our voice when we’re raped and abused and so it’s with great pride that I stand here as the voice for thousands of victims and survivors of sexual abuse, trauma, torture, and neglect. It’s past time to deal with this problem.”
In July 2023, former Washington State Attorney General, now Governor Bob Ferguson, served civil subpoenas pursuant to the Charitable Trust Act on the bishops of the state’s three Catholic dioceses to obtain the files pertaining to the clergy sexual abuse.
After survivors and advocates publicly announced that Washington’s bishops had not complied, Ferguson announced in May 2024 that his office had sent another round of subpoenas and was suing the Archdiocese of Seattle in an effort to compel the institution to turn over documents related to sexual abuse allegations.
After a King County Superior Court judge ruled against AG Ferguson in July 2024, the AGO appealed the ruling to the Washington State Appellate Court. The case has not yet been resolved.
Survivors and witnesses can report abuse or cover-up by calling the state’s hotline:
1-833-952-6277
The State of West Virginia has archived oral arguments before the Supreme Court of Appeals related to the former Attorney General Morrisey’s lawsuit against the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston for knowingly employing abusive priests in schools.
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse in West Virginia.
In 2019, former West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a civil complaint against the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, alleging the diocese, “engaged in unfair or deceptive acts or practices by failing to disclose to consumers of its educational and recreational services that it employed priests and laity who have sexually abused children, including an admitted abuser who the Diocese nevertheless allowed to work in a Catholic elementary school.”
In 2020, the West Virginia Supreme Court rejected the attorney general’s attempt to sue the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and former Bishop Michael J. Bransfield.
Bransfield was later made to pay $441,000 in restitution to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston for unauthorized benefits received from the diocesan resources and urged to make a public apology to seminarians who had reported that Bransfield sexually harassed and assaulted them.
Survivors of clergy abuse can contact Constituent Services at the West Virginia AG’s office using this email:
constituent@wvago.gov
In April 2021, after decades of public advocacy, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul officially opened a statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and other faith-based organizations. Kaul promised to follow the evidence wherever it leads, saying “no detail is too small.” Survivors and anyone with information can make a report to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Call the Wisconsin DOJ’s toll-free line to speak with a victim service specialist:
1-877-222-2620
There is no official statewide investigation into clergy or faith leader abuse in Wyoming.
Reports can be made through the Wyoming Division of Victim Services by phone:
