Former Monroe priest charged with sexual abuse of a child

BY ERIKA NORTON
MONROE — The Rev. Thomas Kreiser, a priest in Bronxville who served at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Monroe for several years, is under arrest and accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old child at school earlier this year.
Kreiser surrendered to Bronxville Police Tuesday afternoon and was arraigned on a charge of first-degree sexual abuse, a felony, for inappropriately touching a 10-year-old child.
The Westchester County District Attorney’s office alleges that on Sept. 20, 2018, Kreiser engaged in touching a child on an intimate part of her body while in a school building in Bronxville during the school day. The 10-year-old victim was fully clothed.
At the time of the alleged incident, Kreiser was employed as a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of New York and was stationed at St. Joseph’s Parish in Bronxville, which includes a church and elementary school. As part of his duties, Kreiser was visiting the school at the time of the alleged abuse.
The Archdiocese has since removed Kreiser from the parish.
Archdiocese: 'We have been fully cooperating with the DA'Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, released the following statement:
“As is our practice and our promise, the Archdiocese of New York first reported the allegation from the parents concerning Father Thomas Kreiser to the Westchester District Attorney’s office in September when it came to our attention. Both the archdiocese and the Parish of Saint Joseph, where Father Kreiser was assigned at the time, have been fully cooperating with the DA, and will continue to do so.
“While we will wait for the justice system to complete its work,” the statement continues, “due to the serious nature of the allegation, Father Kreiser has not been permitted to exercise his priestly ministry or present himself as a priest since the allegation arose.”
1994-1998; also 2017Kreiser has served in several churches since being ordained in 1994, including the Church of the Sacred Heart in Monroe from 1994 to 1998, and then again in 2017 when he served the parish as parochial vicar, according to online bulletins.
According to published reports, in 2011, Kreiser pleaded guilty to stealing $25,600 from St. Gregory Barbarigo Church in Rockland County and was sentenced to five years probation.
He spent 14 months in a Pennsylvania rehabilitation clinic for internet gambling addiction before joining the Church of St. Joseph last July.
Kreiser faces up to seven years in prison for the first-degree sexual abuse charge.
Bail was set at $10,000 cash, $20,000 bond, and he is scheduled to be back in court Jan. 16, 2019.
Victim's AssistanceThe Archdiocese of New York encouraged anyone who has experienced abuse to report it to the district attorney. They also said that anyone who has suffered abuse by a priest or deacon of the archdiocese, is asked to contact their Victim’s Assistance Coordinator Sister Eileen Clifford, at 646-794-2949.
In a blog post online, current Scared Heart pastor Tom Byrnes addressed the "challenging times in the church."