Father Robert Poandl
Archdiocese of New Orleans
Ordained: 1968
Died: 2019
Assigned as follows:
- 1968-1973 St. Francis (Aberdeen, MS)
- 1968-1973 St. Helen’s (Armory, MS)
- 1968-1973 Immaculate Heart of Mary (Houston, MS)
- 1968-1973 St. Theresa’s (Okolona, MS)
- 1968-1973 Christ the King (Fulton, MS)
- 1973?-1974? St. Jude’s (Mifflintown, PA)
- 1973?-1974? Our Lady of Refuge (Doylesburg, PA)
- 1974-1975 Glenmary House of Studies (New Orleans, LA)
- 1979-1981 Motherhouse of Glenmary Home Missions (Fairfield, OH)
- 1979-1981 St. Luke (Dahlonega, GA)
- 1981-1988 St. Francis of Assisi (Blairsville, GA)
- 1981-1988 St. Paul the Apostle (Cleveland, GA)
- 1988-1994 Headquarters of Glenmary Home Missioners (Fairfield, OH)
- 1994-1999 Holy Cross (Pittsburg, TX)
- 1999-2003 Immaculate Conception (Hugo, OK)
- 1999-2003 St. Jude (Boswel, OK)
- 2003-2007 Headquarters of Glenmary Home Missioners (Fairfield, OH)
- 2007-June 2009 St. Christopher’s (Claxton, GA)
- 2007-June 2009 St. Jude (Glenville, GA)
- 2007-June 2009 Holy Cross (Pembroke, GA)
- 2007-June 2009 Our Lady of Guadalupe (Sandhill, GA)
- June 2009-2010 Headquarters of Glenmary Home Missioners (Fairfield, OH)
- Sept.2010- Feb. 2012 St. Christopher’s (Claxton, GA)
- Sept.2010- Feb. 2012 Holy Cross (Pembroke, GA)
- Sept.2010- Feb. 2012 Our Lady of Guadalupe (Sandhill, GA)
- Sept.2010- Feb. 2012 Headquarters of Glenmary Home Missioners (Fairfield, OH)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Robert Poandl:
Father Robert Poandl was a priest of the Glenmary Home Missioners, which serves rural areas of the United States. He served in multiple dioceses throughout the country. According to media reports, in 2009, Father Poandl was accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy from Ohio while on a trip to West Virginia in 1991. He denied the allegation. In June 2009, he was removed from the Diocese of Savannah. After a police investigation, in January 2010, he was charged with 3 counts of abuse, including rape. He pleaded not guilty.
In August 2010, the case was dismissed by a judge who said that not all of the accuser’s medical records were turned over to the court, as had been ordered. Father Poandl was returned to ministry in Georgia in September 2010.
In February 2012, another allegation was reported by a man that he had been sexually abused by Father Poandl nearly 30 years earlier. The priest again denied the allegation, and was again removed from ministry. He returned to Glenmary headquarters in Fairfield, OH.
In November 2012, Father Poandl was indicted on federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity. The charges were related to the 2009 allegation that he sexually abused the Ohio boy in West Virginia in 1991.
According to federal court records, the priest took the boy, with his mother’s permission, on an overnight trip to a rectory in West Virginia. The boy was awakened in the middle of the night by Father Poandl having anal sex with him.
The alleged victim said nothing of the abuse until his fiancee said it was her dream to get married in a Catholic church. Soon after, he told her and his parents that Father Poandl had assaulted him nearly twenty earlier.
Father Poandl pleaded not guilty and was placed on house arrest with GPS monitoring until the trial. In September 2013, he was convicted and in February 2014, he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison. A total of three victims had come forward at that time.
“He preyed on the weak and the poor, he preyed on children to satisfy his sexual desires,” one survivor said at the sentencing hearing. “It is time for justice to finally be served. There is nowhere left for Robert Poandl to hide.”
In September 2017, Father Poandl lost his attempt to appeal the conviction.
In August 2018, his name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Harrisburg’s list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors.
In November 2018, his name appeared publicly on the Archdioceses of Atlanta and New Orleans’ lists of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors, as well as on the Dioceses of Savannah and Wheeling-Charleston’s lists of clergy credibly accused of child sex abuse.
Father Poandl died in prison in January 2019.
In March 2019, his name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Jackson’s list. Six years after his criminal conviction in September 2019, his name appeared publicly on the Glenmary Home Missioners’ list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors.
In October 2019, Father Poandl’s name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Tulsa and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s lists of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The Archdiocese of New Orleans filed for federal bankruptcy protection in April 2020. Our lawyers are now offering free legal consultations to discuss your legal options as a survivor of sexual abuse by priests and other employees of the New Orleans Archdiocese.
Very strict filing deadlines will soon be set by the Bankruptcy Court. Most victims of abuse will never be able to recover damages if they miss this deadline, so please contact us to discuss your case today. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to [email protected].