PORT CHARLOTTE — A lawsuit accusing a Port Charlotte priest of sexual abuse against a minor was filed in 2020, three years before he was placed on leave when allegations surfaced of alleged abuse from his years in Iowa.
In a letter to parishioners at San Antonio Catholic Church in Deep Creek, where sexual abuse suspect Leo Riley had served as a pastor from 2019 until his suspension in 2023, Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice addressed concerns about Riley’s arrest and the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in Sarasota County Court in 2020, alleges Riley and music teacher Alan Klispie sexually abused the victim, referred to as “John Doe,” while he was a student at St. Charles Borromeo in Port Charlotte.
Dewane said the diocese, upon receipt of the lawsuit, notified the State Attorney’s Office.
“At the time the civil lawsuit was received, the factual allegations therein were inaccurate and contradictory,” Dewane wrote. “The plaintiff has since changed his allegations and the litigation is still pending.”
Dewane reiterated that Riley has denied all allegations.
“As your Bishop, I would like to assure you that the Diocese of Venice takes these matters seriously and remains committed to doing its utmost to protect children and vulnerable adults,” he wrote.
Riley was arrested last week on five counts of capital sexual battery. Four alleged victims claimed Riley had molested them while they were altar boys in Dubuque, Iowa in the mid-1980s.
The Venice diocese placed Riley on leave in May 2023 after the Archdiocese of Dubuque notified it about the allegations.
Following Riley’s arrest, the plaintiff in the civil suit held a press conference in Sarasota on Friday to reiterate his claims.
In the lawsuit, the alleged victim claims he went to Riley, who came to St. Charles in 2002 from Iowa, for help to protect him from abuse from Klispie that had started around 1994 or 1995.
“After receiving the report of the abuse, instead of putting a stop to it, Riley began participating in the abuse by physically assault(ing) and repeatedly raping John Doe,” the lawsuit claims.
He claims Riley and Klispie threatened to rape and beat his sister if he told anyone about the abuse.
He also claims Riley told him about the church’s history of “self-flagellation” to purge people of sin, and that the “beatings and rape were being perpetrated to purify (the alleged victim).”
The lawsuit names Riley and Klispie as defendants, along with the Diocese of Venice.
The case is still pending, according to court records.
In his letter to parishioners, Dewane encouraged anyone who has been a victim of sexual misconduct by someone working for the diocese to contact law enforcement at 1-800-962-2873.
The diocese also has a victim assistance coordinator who can be reached at 941-416-6114.
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