Father William J. Heim
Diocese of Albany
Ordained: 1968
Resigned: 1972
Assigned as follows:
- School 14 (Troy, NY)
- Doyle Middle School (Troy, NY)
- 1968-1972: St. Margaret Mary’s (Albany, NY)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father William J Heim:
According to media reports, in March 2002, Father William J Heim, a former priest working as a school guidance counselor, was arrested on charges of inappropriately touching (sexual contact) an eleven-year-old boy for over a year. His last church assignment was in 1972. At the time, he was assigned to St. Margaret Mary’s in Albany, NY. He worked for the Troy school district for more than 20 years.
In May 2002, Heim pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his home computer and received a sentence of five years probation. He had a “library of floppy disks” that stored images of child pornography and child erotica, the bulk of which was downloaded from the Internet, said the Assistant District Attorney.
In August 2002, he was sentenced to two years in state prison. In May 2004, Heim was released on parole. The Assistant District Attorney said Heim would be closely monitored following his release from prison to ensure abuse does not recur.
Officials of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany denied ever receiving complaints of sexual misconduct against Heim when he was a priest decades earlier.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Albany. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Albany, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Albany now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.