Fr. Arthur Long, s.j.
Diocese of Harrisburg
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Arthur Long: Father Arthur Long, a Jesuit priest, appears on the Diocese of Harrisburg’s list of accused priests published in August 2018. According to the Diocese of Harrisburg, during the course of his ministry in Harrisburg, Long was accused of soliciting a child for sex. After his death, the Diocese received a second allegation that Long engaged in a long-term sexual relationship with an adult parishioner that began when the parishioner was a minor child. According to the grand jury report, during Long’s assignment in Harrisburg, he was the subject of multiple allegations of sexual abuse. In a 1987 letter to Long’s Jesuit superior, the Diocese of Harrisburg vaguely referenced “problems” with Long’s ministry, including that the Mother Superior running the convent where Long resided wanted him gone “before the high school girls return…in the near future.” Around that same time, a Harrisburg priest told the Chancery that two young women approached him with reports that Long engaged them in sexual contact when they were minor children, and that, when confronted, Long admitted to the priest that he “had sexual relationships with ‘four or five’ girls.” The priest also identified two more possible victims that he suspected had also been abused by Long. Long later admitted to his religious superior that he engaged in sexual contact with at least one of the girls, but had stopped abusing her and gone to confession for it. Long remained in ministry at the Convent, which was associated with a high school for girls. By 1990, Long had been assigned to parish ministry in the Diocese of Scranton by the Jesuit order, despite the fact that one victim had been promised that he would never again return to ministry after she personally confirmed her abuse to the Diocese of Harrisburg in 1988. In the mid-1990s, Long underwent at least one inpatient treatment stint at a notorious facility for pedophile priests, Guest House. He continued to be assigned in ministry after his discharge. According to the Diocese of Harrisburg, Long is now deceased. Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Harrisburg and throughout Pennsylvania. The Diocese of Harrisburg filed for federal bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Anyone sexually abused by a priest or employee of the Diocese of Harrisburg may be entitled to file a claim against the Diocese in these bankruptcy proceedings, but very strict filing deadlines apply. Most victims of abuse in the Diocese of Harrisburg will never be able to take action against the Diocese of Harrisburg if they miss this bankruptcy filing deadline, so it is important that you contact us immediately to discuss your potential case. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your legal options today.