Father Robert de Otero
Diocese of San Bernardino
Ordained: 1977
Assigned as follows:
- 1977-1979: Sacred Heart of Jesus (Medford, OR)
- 1977-1979: St. Joseph (Jacksonville, OR)
- 1979-1980: St. Andrew (Portland, OR)
- 1980-1981: Sick Leave
- 1981-1982: Sacred Hearts Academy
- 1982-1983: On Duty Outside the Archdiocese
- 1983-1984: Our Lady of the Mount (Honolulu, HI)
- 1984-1987: St. John the Baptist
- 1987-1989: Leave of Absence
- 1990-1993: Military Chaplain
- 1993-1997: On Duty Outside the Diocese
- 1998-2002: Leave of Absence
- 2005: Retired
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Robert de Otero:
Fr. Robert de Otero was ordained a priest in 1977 and served in multiple parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. According to media reports, in May 2002, a civil lawsuit alleged that de Otero sexually abused two altar boys in the late 1980s at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Kalihi, Hawaii. One boy was 11 years old and the other boy was 12 years old when the abuse began. The lawsuit stated that de Otero kissed the boys and touched their genitals. According to the suit, both men said their memories were repressed until they saw national media coverage of the Church’s sexual abuse scandal earlier that year.
In June 2004, the lawsuit was settled. Two months later, in August, a second one was filed, alleging de Otero had sexually abused another boy at the same parish in 1985.
De Otero requested a personal leave of absence in 1987 for unknown reasons and became a Navy chaplain in 1989. In 1992, he resigned from his post after admitting to sexually abusing a boy at the Marine base in Twentynine Palms, California. In 1993, he was one of four priests that former Hawaii Bishop Francis DiLorenzo removed from public ministry, amid allegations of sexual misconduct and he was one of three priests that admitted to the misconduct. He was still a member of the diocese, in 2004, which provided for his living expenses and medical coverage, as it did for the three other men removed from service by Bishop DiLorenzo.
In 2005, de Otero retired. He is listed on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ List of Archdiocesan Clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of San Bernardino. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in San Bernardino, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of San Bernardino now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.