Father John Dawson
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Ordained: 1967
Removed: 2005
Assignment History:
- 1968-1969: St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church (La Mirada, CA)
- 1970-1973: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church (Santa Barbara, CA)
- 1974: Unknown
- 1975-1978: Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church (Long Beach, CA)
- 1979-1982: St. Bernadette Catholic Church (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1983-1984: St. James the Less Catholic Church (La Crescenta, CA)
- 1985-1993: St. Sebastian Catholic Church (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1993: Saint Luke Institute and Halfway House
- 1993: Servants of the Paraclete treatment program (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
- 1994-Present: Unknown
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father John Dawson:
Fr. John Dawson was ordained a priest in 1967, and served in multiple parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. According to media reports, in 1987, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles received an anonymous allegation of childhood sexual molestation by Fr. John Dawson. In 1992, an adult male reported that in 1976, when he was 12 years old, he was molested by Fr. Dawson. In 1993, another adult male reported that when he was 14 years old, he was molested by Fr. Dawson. He also stated that he suspected that his brother was also molested and that there were at least three other victims.
Fr. John Dawson was placed on sick leave in 1993, in the wake of the sexual abuse allegations. Instead of reporting the abuse to the police, the Archdiocese sent Dawson to undergo therapy at Saint Luke Institute and the Servants of the Paraclete, two institutions known for treating priests accused of child sexual abuse.
Two years later, Fr. Dawson was placed on inactive leave with no faculties or authorization to present himself as a priest. According to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Fr. Dawson stands accused of sexually abusing at least ten children between 1972 and 1982, some as young as eight years old.
Fr. Dawson has been named in at least one civil lawsuit by an alleged victim of child sexual abuse. He was removed from ministry in 2005. Fr. Dawson was included in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ list of priests accused of sexual misconduct involving minors.
According to media reports, in 2012, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles released personnel files of priests accused of child sexual abuse, including Fr. Dawson’s. He was last known to be living Albuquerque, NM. His current whereabouts and whether he has access to children are unknown.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.