Father John Mott
Ordained: 1956
Died: 1999
Assigned as follows:
- 1956-1969 St. Raphael's (East Meadow, NY)
- 1969-1971 St. Pius X (Plainview, NY)
- 1971-1976 St. Aidan's (Williston Park, NY)
- 1976-1990 St. Patrick's (Smithtown, NY)
- 1990-1995 St. Catherine of Siena (Franklin Square, NY)
- 1995-1997 Our Lady of Mercy (Hicksville, NY)
- 1997-1999 Sick Leave
- 1999 St. Pius X Residence (Uniondale, NY)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father John Mott:
Father John Mott was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn before the Diocese of Rockville Centre was created in 1957. According to media reports, in 1994, he was named in a lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused a 15-year-old girl while at St. Raphael's in East Meadow, New York in the late 1960s. Four additional women came forward to accuse Father Mott of sexually abusing them as children since the lawsuit was filed. He had supervised their cheerleading squad in the late 1950s when they attended elementary school at St. Raphael's.
"My mother brought me to see him because I was this troubled child' - I was interested in boys," said one accuser.
She alleged that Father Mott manipulated her into a sexual relationship from the age of 15 to 19 that has haunted her ever since. She asserted that her lifelong struggle with chronic depression and thoughts of suicide is a result of the repeated abuse.
Father Mott denied the allegations and in 1995, took a six-month leave of absence from his position as pastor of St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Franklin Square. He underwent psychiatric evaluation and was reportedly found to not be in need of counseling.
Vice-Chancellor Msgr. Placa wrote, "We've had Mott evaluated three separate times and have no reason to believe he poses a threat to anyone."
In July 1995, Father Mott resigned from his post, citing personal problems resulting from the accusations.
In 1997, a second child sexual abuse lawsuit was filed against Father Mott by two of the four women who had previously come forward to report him.
Both the 1994 and 1997 lawsuits were dismissed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, however, the Diocese of Rockville Centre settled with the two women.
Father Mott died in June 1999.
In August 2019, he was accused in a lawsuit filed under the NY Child Victims Act, of sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy at St. Raphael's in East Meadow from 1958 to 1961. He is listed on the Diocese of Rockville Centre's 2021 List of 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 Rockville Centre in New York. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New York, contact our office today. In October 2020, the Rockville Centre Diocese filed for federal bankruptcy protection. The Court will resolve all claims of sexual abuse in this process but strict filing deadlines will apply and no late claims will be considered, so contact us today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New York and nationwide. We can help.
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