Father Kenneth Hasselbach
Ordained: 1966
Removed: 1994
Died: 2014
Assigned as follows:
- 1966-1969 St. Jude (Mastic-Shirley, NY)
- 1969-1972 St. Raphael (East Meadow, NY)
- 1972-1975 Our Lady Queen of Martyrs (Centerport, NY)
- 1976-1979 Queen of the Most Holy Rosary (Roosevelt, NY)
- 1980 Unknown
- 1981-1983 San Pedro Apostol, El Cercado (Dominican Republic)
- 1984 St. Francis de Sales (Patchogue, NY)
- 1985-1991 St. Joseph (Babylon, NY)
- 1992-1993 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Patchogue, NY)
- 1994 Retired
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Kenneth Hasselbach:
According to media reports, in 1994, Father Kenneth Hasselbach was permanently removed from ministry when another priest found pornography in his room. He was sent for therapy. While in treatment, allegations surfaced that he sexually abused a 12-year-old altar boy over a five-year period in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At the time of the alleged abuse, which occurred at St. Raphael's and St. Jude's rectories and on trips, he was serving at St. Raphael in East Meadow, New York, within the Diocese of Rockville Centre. In a 2002 interview, he reportedly admitted to sexually abusing the boy, saying that he thought the boy was older than 12. He was never prosecuted because the five-year statute of limitations had expired.
In January 2009, Father Hasselbach was arrested and charged for possession of internet child pornography in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January 2010 to two years in federal prison. Court records show that authorities recommended the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons keep Father Hasselbach in a facility that treats sex offenders. He died in December 2014.
Father Hasselbach is listed on the Diocese of Rockville Centre's 2021 List of Clergy Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The list states that the alleged sexual abuse occurred while Hasselbach worked at Queen of Most Holy Rosary Church in Roosevelt, NY, and at hotels near Hunter Mountain and Jones Beach, sometime between 1975-1979.
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.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.