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Court dismisses sexual abuse charges against former Port Charlotte priest

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Court dismisses sexual abuse charges against former Port Charlotte priest

The court has dismissed sexual abuse charges against Father Leo Riley. The former Port Charlotte priest is accused of sexually abusing four victims while he was at an Iowa church in the 1980s. The decision followed two motions: a motion to dismiss the charges due to the statute of limitations; a motion to suppress evidence based on unethical and unconstitutional state conduct. According to court documents, a hearing was scheduled for Monday for the latter motion, but it was canceled. The case was dismissed a short time later. On April 24, Father Riley, 68, was arrested on multiple counts of sexual assault related to his previous work at a church in Dubuque, Iowa. Four Iowa victims claimed Riley sexually abused them while serving as an altar boy in the mid-1980s, and one Port Charlotte victim publicly said Riley physically and sexually abused him in the early 2000s. In May, Riley made his first court appearance and was sentenced to $500,000 bail after being charged with five counts of sexual abuse on Monday. After the charges were officially dropped, the state of Iowa stated that the victims would not have the opportunity to testify against Riley and stressed that the law should be changed for similar cases in the future.

DUBUQUE, Iowa —

The court dropped sexual abuse charges against Father Leo Riley, a former Port Charlotte priest accused of sexually abusing four victims during his time at an Iowa church in the 1980s.

The decision was preceded by two applications:

  • Application for dismissal of the action due to statute of limitations
  • Motion to suppress evidence based on the unethical and unconstitutional conduct of the state

According to court documents, a hearing on the latter motion was scheduled for Monday, but it was canceled and the case was dismissed shortly afterward.

On April 24, Father Riley, 68, died was arrested for multiple sexual assaults in connection with his previous work at a church in Dubuque, Iowa.

Four victims from Iowa claimed that Riley sexually abused them as an altar boy in the mid-1980s, and one from Port Charlotte publicly stated that Riley had physically and sexually abused him in the early 2000s.

Riley appeared in court for the first time in May and was ordered to post $500,000 bail after being charged with five counts of sexual abuse on Monday.

The state of Iowa stated that the victims had no opportunity to testify against Riley after the charges were officially dismissed and stressed that the law would need to be changed for similar cases in the future.

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