Catholic Priest

Charles Thomas

Ordained:
Diocese: Diocese of Pittsburgh

From Report I of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

Diocesan records contained a memorandum dated April 2, 1996 that was written to Father Charles Thomas regarding an allegation that had been made against him.   The memorandum stated that an adult male had reported that, when he was a minor, he was sexually assaulted by Thomas on several occasions beginning in 1958 when Thomas was assigned to the St. Hugh. The male stated that the assaults began with Thomas fondling him and showing him pornographic material.  The assaults then progressed to anal penetration of the victim by Thomas.  The victim also related that a nun (name unknown) assigned to St. Hugh helped Thomas in some of the assaults.  He explained that this unknown nun had sexually assaulted him on separate occasions as well.

The records revealed that the victim was compensated $15,042.50 by the Diocese of Pittsburgh in connection with his private psychiatric counseling sessions from 2011 throughout 2016.

Additional information regarding the widespread sexual abuse of children within the Catholic Dioceses of Pennsylvania and the systemic cover up by senior church officials is compiled in the Pennsylvania Diocese Victim’s Report published by the Pennsylvania Attorney General following a two-year grand jury investigation.  A complete copy of the Report is available on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s website.