Father Edward Huff
Diocese of Pittsburgh
Ordained: 1973
Leave of Absence: 1993
Resigned: 1993
Assigned as Follows:
- 1973-1978: Holy Innocents (Pittsburgh, PA)
- 1978-1983: North American Martyrs (Monroeville, PA)
- 1983-1987: St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother (Whitehall, PA)
- 1987-1991: St. Anthony (Bessemer, PA)
- 1991-1992: St. Anselm (Swissvale, PA)
- 1992: Leave of Absence
- 1992-1993: Office for Chaplaincies and Campus Ministry
Summary of Allegations Against Father Edward G. Huff:
Father Edward Huff was ordained a priest in 1973, who served in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. According to media reports, in 1992, several people came forward with accusations of inappropriate touching by the priest while he was assigned to St. Anthony. It was also reported that Huff would invite teenagers back to the rectory, where he would wrestle with the boys and give them alcohol.
One of the victims recalled a time when Huff had taken him to a Pittsburgh Pirates game, then let him drive his car while Huff touched him inappropriately. Father Huff allegedly did this to many of the other victims as well.
Later that year, Huff was removed from his position at St. Anselm. He was sent to St. Michael's Institute, a notorious treatment facility for pedophile priests in St. Louis, Missouri. In the fall of 1992, he was assigned as hospital chaplain in the Diocese Chancery. Soon after, two families in two days complained to the Diocese that Huff had molested their sons.
Within two months several more families complained of abuse 1987-91. He was placed on administrative leave and sent to St. Michael's a second time. He resigned from the priesthood 7 weeks later in 1993. He was arrested in 1994, and pled guilty to charges of improperly touching and providing alcohol to several youths. He was sentenced to 15 months to 5 yrs in prison as result of the plea bargain. He was released on parole in 1999.
A note found in Huff's personnel file in 2000 said that he "admitted to touching at least 500 kids and targeting at least 1200." The author of the note is not clear.
According to media reports in 2018, Father Huff is also accused of abusing a young girl between 1983 and 1984 when she was 7 years old. On multiple occasions, Huff took the alleged victim to the rectory at St. Gabriel and put his hands under her uniform, then touched her genitals. That same alleged victim also reported she was abused by Rev. Lawrence O'Connell, who worked at St. Gabriel from 1952 to 1983.
In May 2008, another victim came forward alleging that Fr. Edward Huff abused him when he was an altar boy in the early 1980s. His personnel files show that in June 2015, the priest showed up at altar server training at a New Castle parish and asked a teen boy if he wanted to go to a Pittsburgh Pirates game with him. The victim stated that Huff would touch his legs and grope his genitals while they were in Huff's car while he was drunk.
Huff was named publicly as accused in a priest profile in the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. He was also named in two new lawsuits filed in 2018. He is believed to be residing in the New Castle, Pennsylvania, area.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Pittsburgh may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.