He Pleaded Guilty Wed. In N.C. Courtroom

To 'A Crime

Against Nature'

BY TOM YANCEY

STAFF WRITER

William "Bill" Casey, former pastor of Notre Dame Catholic Church and a Greene County resident, pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually abusing a boy in North Carolina during a visit to Little Switzerland, N.C., with the boy more than 30 years ago.

Casey, 76, who pleaded guilty to "a crime against nature," received a three-year suspended sentence in McDowell County, N.C., Superior Court, with two years of supervised probation.

McDowell County District Attorney Brad Greenway said the offense for which the guilty plea was entered had occurred at what is now known as the Switzerland Inn in Little Switzerland.

The victim, Warren Tucker of Jeffersonville, Ind., now 45, was a young member of Casey's congregation in Kingsport at the time, according to testimony.

Tucker has said that Casey abused him numerous times over a period of five years, beginning in 1975 when he was a fifth-grader at St. Dominic's Catholic Church.

The alleged abuses are said to have taken place in various locations: Scott and Lee counties in southwest Virginia, and in Sullivan and Greene counties in Tennessee, as well as in North Carolina.

The courtroom was packed with spectators, reporters and cameras.

The McDowell News, a newspaper in that county, reported today that court proceedings showed that Casey befriended the boy and later developed a sexual relationship with him.

During an overnight trip to McDowell County to pursue Tucker's interest in gem mining, Greenway said, Casey had anal intercourse with Tucker, who was 12 or 13 at the time, the McDowell News reported.

District Attorney Greenway said North Carolina law at the time of the crime only recognized rape as an action between a man and a woman.

For that reason, Greenway said, Casey was instead charged with "crimes against nature."

CASEY 'TRULY SORRY'

Attorney David Belser of Asheville, representing Casey, read a statement describing Casey's life and state of mind since the incident.

According to The McDowell News, Belser said Casey has served God and the community for many years, that he long ago accepted that his actions were wrong, that he therefore broke his pattern of sexual exploitation of minors, and that he was deeply moved by the impact of his actions upon Tucker.

The attorney said Casey is truly sorry for the pain he has caused Tucker. Belser said Casey asked Tucker's forgiveness and hopes his victim can heal.

A reporter who was present said Casey himself did not speak during the trial, other than to answer the judge's questions, saying "Yes" or "No."

Tucker, who was present in the courtroom, was also offered an opportunity to speak during the proceeding Wednesday but did not do so.

VICTIM COMMENTS

Tucker did speak to reporters after the trial.

"I tell you, it's bittersweet [that] someone can plead guilty to a sex crime felony and walk free," the Associated Press reported Tucker said after the sentencing.

"But the district attorney did the best he could, given what he had to deal with."

In addition, TriCities.com reported that Tucker said after the hearing, "On the one hand, he's a convicted felon now like he should have been a long time ago.

"He pled guilty to a felony ... but the sentence was light. You plead guilty to a felony, and you don't spend one 24-hour period behind bars? That's discouraging for anyone ...

"Knowing that this is just the beginning and not the end of the legal process for Mr. Casey, I'm okay with it for now."

SENTENCE BY JUDGE

Judge Powell accepted Casey's guilty plea on Wednesday and gave him a three-year suspended sentence and 24 months of supervised probation. Casey must pay a $500 fine, court costs, and a $150 cost for transfer to Tennessee to serve his probation.

The judge also ordered Casey to refrain from using drugs or controlled substances, or pornography, and ordered him to get counseling.

She also ordered Casey to have no contact with anyone under 18 unless supervised, and ordered that he is not to leave Greene County during his sentence, The McDowell News reported.

Casey also was ordered to have no contact with the victim or his family.

Casey will not have to go to prison if he complies with the conditions of his plea agreement, the judge said.

The conditions include having a sex offender evaluation and completing any recommended treatment.

BISHOP ISSUES STATEMENT

Bishop Richard Stika, of the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, in April very quickly banned Casey from serving as a priest after he acknowledged the credibility of abuse allegations made at that time to diocesan officials by Tucker.

Based on what Casey told Bishop Stika in response to those allegations, the bishop said there may be other victims, although none has come forward, according to a diocesan official quoted in today's issue of The Knoxville News-Sentinel.

In an e-mailed statement sent to the media after the verdict on Wednesday, Stika offered apologies and prayers to Tucker and his family.

"I applaud him (Tucker) and other victims of sexual abuse for their bravery in coming forward to seek healing and justice," the bishop wrote. "I strongly encourage all victims of abuse to do the same."

In addition to serving at St. Dominic's in Kingsport, Casey served at churches in Chattanooga, Greeneville, Rogersville, Farragut and Newport during his 30 years as an active priest before retiring in 1999.

After his retirement, he filled in at various parishes around the region for vacationing or absent clergy.

He has continued to live in Greene County, where he has been a respected and popular citizen, both in his capacity as a priest and as a member of the community in general.

OTHER CHARGES POSSIBLE

Tucker told The McDowell News he still hopes that Casey will go to prison. He said he has filed complaints against the priest with law enforcement in Scott County, Va., and Sullivan and Greene counties in Tennessee.

"The D.A. in Sullivan County assures me they have what they need to bring a case," Tucker told The Associated Press.

Sullivan County District Attorney General H. Greeley Wells told The Greeneville Sun in a telephone interview Wednesday that he had not spoken to Tucker, but an assistant proecutor in his office had talked to Tucker.

Wells declined to comment on Tucker's statement quoted by the AP, but said, "We are looking at bringing charges" against Casey. He said the matter is being investigated in Sullivan County by the Kingsport Police Department.

Wells said "statute of limitations issues" still have to be resolved, and he plans to consult with the Tennessee Attorney General's office in that regard.

Tucker also told the Associated Press that he received a threatening letter at his home in Indiana on Saturday warning him to stop his efforts against Casey.

He said he does not know who it was from, but it was postmarked in Northeast Tennessee. The AP said Tucker had turned the letter over to authorities.