Thomas P. Shoback

Ordained: 1967
Diocese: Diocese of Scranton

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

On May 20, 2006, the Diocese of Scranton received a report that an 11-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by Father Thomas P. Shoback when the victim was an altar boy. The allegation was reported to the Tioga County District Attorney’s Office and was investigated by the Diocese. When questioned about the allegation, Shoback denied that anything inappropriate had occurred. The victim provided the name of another former altar boy who was also a victim. This second male was interviewed and denied that anything had occurred. No criminal charges were filed.  Shoback was sent for an evaluation.

On November 14, 2011, the male who had denied that anything had occurred when he was interviewed in 2006 revealed that he was sexually abused by Shoback when he was 11 years old and serving as an altar boy.   The Diocese filed a report with the Tioga County District Attorney’s Office and also filed a report with ChildLine.  Criminal charges for child sexual abuse were filed against Shoback for assaults that occurred between 1991 and 1997.  In April, 2013, Shoback was found guilty.  He was sentenced to five to ten years in state prison.

On November 14, 2014, Shoback was removed from ministry.

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.