William “Bill” Mannion, a former priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, was arrested March 24 by Baltimore County Police and charged with second-degree child abuse and multiple sex offenses.
A news release March 24 said the Baltimore County Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit was alerted in October 2023 to allegations of past sexual abuse by Mannion.
During the investigation, it said, the survivor provided information regarding sexual abuse by Mannion, now 62, that occurred from approximately 1991 through 1994 in the 600 block of St. Agnes Lane, a location that corresponds to the St. Agnes school and church.
In a statement from the archdiocese, Christian Kendzierski, executive director of communications, said, “William ‘Bill’ Mannion left the priesthood in the late 1990s and requested to be formally removed from the clerical state (laicized) for reasons unrelated to abuse. The Vatican laicized him in 2004.”
The statement said that Mannion later married and had children.
“The Archdiocese of Baltimore is saddened to learn of allegations of abuse by Mannion and is committed to cooperating fully with law enforcement. The Archdiocese of Baltimore is committed to protecting children and helping to heal victims of abuse. We urge anyone who has any knowledge of any child sexual abuse to contact law enforcement and call the Archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection,” Kendzierski said.
The archdiocese’s Victim Assistance can be reached at 866-417-7469. Misconduct can be reported at archbalt.org; click on “Report Misconduct” at the top of the page.
Baltimore County detectives believe there may be more victims of Mannion’s abuse and urge them to come forward. Anyone with information about these crimes can contact the Crimes Against Children Unit at 410-887-7720 or Child Protective Services at 410-887-8463.
Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org.
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