Fr. Jerome Leach – Archdiocese of San Francisco

| Dec 14, 2020 | Abuser Profiles, Catholic Church

Father Jerome Leach

Archdiocese of San Francisco

Ordained: 1976

Suspended: 1993

Arrested: 2002

Dead: 2017

Assignment History:

  • 1976: All Souls (South San Francisco, CA)
  • 1976-1979: St. Pius (Redwood City, CA)
  • 1979-1983: St. Patrick’s (Larkspur, CA)
  • 1983-1986: St. Catherine of Siena (Burlingame, CA)
  • 1986-1987: Absent on sick leave
  • 1987-1989: St. Finnbarr (San Francisco, CA)
  • 1990-1991: Our Lady of Mercy (Daly City, CA)
  • 1991-1993: All Souls (South San Francisco, CA)
  • 1994-2015: Absent on leave

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Jerome Leach:

In 1993, Fr. Jerome “Jerry” Leach was accused of molesting an altar boy back in 1976. At the time, Leach was the Deacon at All Souls in South San Francisco, California.

After this allegation surfaced, that Leach molested a boy at All Souls, he was suspended from ministry in May of 1993. Leach had not yet been ordained when assigned to All Souls in South San Francisco.

According to media reports, in 2002, Leach was accused of sexually abusing another minor. The victim was a 12-year-old altar boy in which Leach abused over a 10-month period back in 1979. Leach was assigned to St. Patrick’s in Larkspur, California during the time this abuse took place.

In November of 2002, Leach was arrested and charged with having molested and sodomized an altar boy in 1979. Eight months later, the charges were dropped when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a California statute of limitation law that would have allowed for prosecution.

Leach’s whereabouts and whether he had access to children from 1994 until his death are unknown. Leach died in 2017.

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