From seminarian to sex offender: Timeline of defrocked priest Stephen Kiesle

Timeline of defrocked priest Stephen Kiesle

A timeline of defrocked priest Stephen Kiesle:

— 1972: Ordained at St. Francis De Sales, Oakland.

— 1972-1975: Associate pastor at St. Joseph’s Church in Pinole.

— 1975-1978: Assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City.

— August 1978: Kiesle is arrested and pleads no contest to lewd conduct, a misdemeanor, for tying up and molesting two boys. Sentenced to three years probation, record is later expunged.

— 1978-1981: Takes extended leave of absence, attends counseling and reports regularly to probation officer.

— July 1981: Oakland Bishop John Cummins sends Kiesle’s file to the Vatican in support of the priest’s petition for laicization.

— November 1981: Vatican asks for more information.

— 1982: Kiesle moves to Pinole.

— February 1982: Cummins writes to Ratzinger providing additional information and warning of possible scandal if Kiesle is not defrocked.

— September 1982: Oakland diocese official writes Ratzinger asking for update.

— September 1983: Cummins visits Rome, discusses Kiesle case with Vatican officials.

— December 1983: Vatican official writes Oakland to say Kiesle’s file can’t be found and they should resubmit materials.

— January 1984: Cummins writes a Vatican official to inquire about status of Kiesle file.

— 1985: Kiesle volunteers as a youth minister at St. Joseph’s Church in Pinole.

— September 1985: Cummins writes Ratzinger asking about status of Kiesle case.

— November 1985: Ratzinger writes to Cummins about Kiesle case.

— December 1985: A memo from diocese officials discusses writing to Ratzinger again to stress the risk of scandal if Kiesle’s case is delayed.

— 1987: Kiesle is defrocked.

— 2002: Kiesle is arrested and charged with 13 counts of child molestation; all but two are thrown out after U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidates a California law extending statute of limitations.

— 2004: Kiesle pleads no contest to felony charge of molesting a young girl in 1995 at his Truckee vacation home.

— 2004: He is sentenced to six years in prison for the 1995 molestation.

— 2010: Registered as a sex offender living in Walnut Creek.