Father Robert Leo Pelkington
Diocese of Norwich (Dominicans)
Ordained: 1968
Died: 2015
Assigned as follows:
- 1970-1978: Providence College (Providence, RI)
- 1979-1980: Jarrett House (Detroit, MI)
- 1981-1983: St. Stephen Priory (Dover, MA)
- 1984-1985: St. Vincent Ferrer Priory (New York, NY)
- 1986: Holy Name of Jesus (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1987-1991: St. Dominic’s (Washington, DC)
- 1992: Thomas Aquinas (Zanesville, OH)
- 1993-1994: St. Vincent Ferrer Priory (New York, NY
- 1995: St. Mary’s Priory (New Haven, CT)
- 1996-1998: Holy Name of Jesus (Valhalla, NY)
- 1999-2001: Unknown
- 2002-2011: St. Dominic Church & Priory (Washington DC)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Robert Leo Pelkington:
Fr. Robert Leo Pelkington was ordained a priest of the Dominican Order in 1968, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Norwich. According to media reports, he turned himself into the police in 2000 after being charged with sexually abusing two minor boys who were brothers, between approximately 1998 and 1999. Pelkington reportedly abused the boys during visits to Southington, Connecticut, while he was working in the Archdiocese of New York.
Prior to his arrest, Pelkington was sent to St. Luke Institute, an institution known for treating priests accused of child sexual abuse. After accepting a plea deal, he was sentenced to a three-year suspended sentence and ten years of probation. In 2009, Pelkington was listed on the sex offender registry in Washington, D.C.
Pelkington’s name was included on the Dominicans St. Joseph Province’s 2018 list of credibly accused friars. It was also included on the Diocese of Norwich 2019 list and the Archdiocese of Hartford’s 2019 list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse.
Pelkington’s status as a priest, whereabouts, and whether he had access to children from 2012 until his death are unknown. He died in 2015.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Norwich in Connecticut. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Connecticut, contact our office today. In July 2021, the Norwich 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 Connecticut and nationwide. We can help.
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