Father Albert Liberatore
Diocese of Scranton
Ordained: 1989
Faculties removed: 2004
Laicized: 2006
Assigned as follows:
- 1990-1991: St. John the Evangelist (Pittston, PA)
- 1991-1993: St. Peter’s Cathedral (Scranton, PA)
- 1993-1995: Louvain (Belgium)
- 1995-1997: Diocese Director of Vocations
- 1995-1997: St. Pius X Seminary (Dalton, PA)
- 1997: In residence, St. Clare (Scranton, PA)
- 1997-2004: Sacred Heart of Jesus (Duryea, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Albert Liberatore:
Fr. Albert Liberatore was ordained a priest in 1989, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Scranton. According to media reports, in late 1996, then-Father Joseph Bambera (who later became Bishop of Scranton), wrote to then-Bishop James Timlin expressing his personal concerns about the relationship between Father Albert Liberatore and a young male that he labeled “a potentially problematic situation.” He stated that Liberatore brought the boy to New York, where they consumed alcohol and spent the night. Timlin wrote on the Bambera memo, “Confidential – no action taken.”
In March 1997, a memo outlined various concerns about LIberatore, though the reason for drafting the memo was not made clear in the grand jury report. Among the concerns was a summary of an incident in which Liberatore was observed laying on a bed getting a massage from a seminarian at St. Pius X seminary in full view of about 20 students from Bishop Hoban High School. In his own writing, Timlin acknowledged that he spoke with Liberatore and considered the matter resolved.
In 2002, Bishop Timlin received a letter from the American College in Louvain, Belgium, where Liberatore studied earlier in his career. The letter stated that Liberatore was seen taking a young man in his “teens or early 20s” into his bedroom while visibly inebriated. Liberatore admitted to having contact with the person, but insisted he was older than 18. Liberatore was sent for a psychological evaluation.
In 2004, the Diocese of Scranton received two allegations that Liberatore sexually abused teen boys. The allegations were reported to law enforcement after they were deemed credible.
Later that same year, Liberatore was charged with multiple crimes in Pennsylvania and New York City for various crimes relating to the sexual abuse of an altar boy between 1999 and 2004, while Liberatore was assigned to Sacred Heart in Duryea. It is not clear from the grand jury report if this was a third victim, or one of the two boys who were the subject of the other 2004 allegations.
Liberatore pleaded guilty in both cases and received 10 years probation. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender. He was later arrested in late 2006 for violating Megan’s Law, which requires him to keep this address up-to-date.
The civil case filed by the victim’s family later settled for $3,000,000.00 during trial.
Liberatore now resides in Scranton. According to an online profile unrelated to his sex offender registry, Liberatore has worked for nearly two decades as a university professor, and that, “coupled with years as an academic dean, gave Albert a passion for helping students discover the thrill of learning, and his favorite part of that process was directing graduate students in their thesis writing.
He went on to become a full-time editor, and eventually founded an online editorial service–which he heads today. Much as in his teaching career, Albert’s favorite part of his job is working as a coach for master’s and doctoral students as they write their theses and dissertations–he loves the feeling that comes from helping students to discover their own ability to raise important questions and explore possible answers.” He remains a registered sex offender.
In 2018, he was named publicly as accused in the PA Grand Jury Report.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Scranton. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Scranton may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Pennsylvania and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.