A Jesuit priest was arrested Nov. 21 in Chicago on charges relating to a decade-old sexual abuse scandal, according to a statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Father Richard James Kurtz, 67, is facing felony charges of sexual assault on a child by one in possession of trust and attempted sexual assault on a child by one in passion of trust.
According to the Douglas County sheriff’s office, the charges stem from an incident that allegedly occurred while Kurtz was employed at the University of Detroit High School in Detroit. Kurtz was working there as a chemistry teacher in 2001 when he allegedly abused an underage male.
The incident itself, however, occurred in Colorado, Sgt. Ron Hanavan of the sheriff’s office told Windy City Times. According to Hanavan, Kurtz and the alleged victim knew each other. The sheriff’s office said the incident was not related a church in Colorado.
The Douglas County Special Victims Unit began investigating the priest in June after a tip from the Society Of Jesus Chicago-Detroit Province. A warrant for his arrest was issued on Nov. 18. Kurtz was booked on a $100,000 bond.
A case against Kurtz was filed with the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office of Douglas County.