Father Regis Larkin
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1945
Died: 1981
Assignment History
- 1945-1964: St. Michael’s (Frostburg, MD)
- 1964-1965: St. Ursula (Baltimore, MD)
- 1965-1974: St. Peter Church (Oakland, MD)
- 1974-1981: St. Patrick’s (Cumberland, MD)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Regis Larkin:
Father Regis Larkin was ordained a Catholic priest and worked in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland. In 2019, Fr. Larkin was listed on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list. In April 2023, Maryland’s Attorney General released a report alleging 156 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over six decades. The report lists the names of the abusers, including Father Regis Larkin.
According to the Attorney General’s report, in 1992, Archbishop Keeler received a letter from a victim reporting that he was sexually abused by Fr. Regis Larkin multiple times from 1978 to 1981 when he was 12 years old. The victim explained that he was a parishioner of St. Patrick’s in Cumberland, Maryland, and he said that he saw a book put out by the parish commemorating its 200th anniversary. The book had a brief history of each pastor over the years. Father Regis Larkin was listed as pastor from 1974 until he died in 1981 and was described as ‘taking a special interest in the children of the parish.’” The victim then stated that he was one of the victims that Larkin took a “special interest” in. He claimed the sexual abuse consisted of fondling, genital touching, wrestling, sleeping in the same bed, and Larkin “forcing himself” on the victim. The man stated the abuse primarily occurred in the rectory of St. Patrick’s and that Larkin constantly had children stay with him at the rectory. Fr. Larkin also took groups of boys on trips, including to Ocean City and New Jersey, and watched boys shower and exposed himself to them while he showered.
The victim said in the beginning, he only spent a few nights at the rectory a month, but as time progressed, he started spending four to five nights a week at the rectory, which other staff knew about. The archdiocese did not report this to the authorities in 2002 after the Archdiocese received another report of abuse from a second victim.
In 1993, nearly a year after making his initial report, the victim contacted the archdiocese again, referencing his first report and stating he called Father Gerald LaPorta, another priest that lived at the rectory at the time of the abuse, in which LaPorta told the victim that was the first he had heard about the allegations and was never questioned. The letter stated that he found it hard to believe that Gerald LaPorta didn’t find it odd that Larkin had a 12-year-old boy sleeping in his bed for three years. He detailed specific encounters and ended the letter by saying that after countless hours of therapy and reflection, Father Larkin’s crimes still haunt him from the grave.
In 2002, a second victim reported to the archdiocese that he was also sexually abused by Father Larkin from 1955-1956 when he was in 5th grade. Ten years later, in 2012, the victim contacted the archdiocese again to request assistance with finding a therapist close to where he was living. His letter also expressed disbelief that the archdiocese moved Larkin to other parishes knowing about these allegations. The victim also said that he believed Larkin was protected in the archdiocese because of Larkin’s uncle, who was a monsignor.
The archdiocese found the victim’s report of abuse credible and, in 2002, reported it to the proper authorities, along with the first reporting victim’s abuse that was initially received in 1992.
In 2019, shortly after the archdiocese published Larkin’s name as a credibly accused priest, another victim reported that he had been sexually abused by Fr. Larkin when he was in middle school in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The victim first met Larkin when he was serving as an altar boy at St. Michael’s in Frostburg, Maryland. Beginning when the victim was in middle school, he spent nearly every Friday night with Larkin, which is when Larkin would sexually abuse the boy. Larkin also sexually abused the boy on a trip to Larkin’s beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey. The abuse ended when the victim was in high school. The victim also reported that his brother, who had since passed away, had also been abused by Fr. Larkin.
In 2021, another victim emailed the archdiocese and reported that he had been “inappropriately touched” by a priest. He explained that nothing actually happened, but it got close to abuse.
Fr. Larkin died in 1981.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Maryland, contact our office today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse nationwide. We can help. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.