Statement by the survivors of David Kelley 08/31/05
“We were sexually abused as children by a priest named David Kelley. Kelley was our parish’s associate pastor or teacher at our high school. He endeared himself to our families and manipulated our trust. He seduced us with alcohol and pornography. He created a situation in which we were trapped. We were ashamed and afraid, and Kelley held a great deal of authority over us and could accuse us of lying. When we were finally able to come forward to report our abuse following the scandalous revelations which began in 2002, we learned that Kelley could no longer be criminally prosecuted or sued in civil courts. Under current law, he cannot be held accountable through the justice system for his brutal and evil destruction of many lives.
Last year we learned that Kelley moved to Clarksville, Tennessee into a neighborhood with many children, and had even obtained employment as a counselor. We were appalled. Now we understand that Kelley intends to move again into an unsuspecting community where he can get a fresh start and infiltrate into other children’s lives. This is a perfect example of why laws need to be changed to hold these monsters accountable. Permitting Kelley and his like to be sued in civil court will create judgments which will remain public record and will turn up on any background searches by potential employers and the general public. Criminals like Kelley should never be able to escape their past, because pedophilia is not curable. A fresh start for someone like Kelley means a license to repeat his crimes.
We ask you to support efforts to extend or abolish statutes of limitations for perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse.”
John Murray
Tony Hamburg
Paul C. Hogue
Chris Chakeres
Ron Lamb
John Does #2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38