Priest at center of teen sex and hush money scandal in Alabama

Daily Mail​

11 hours ago

An Alabama priest is under investigation following allegations that he began a sexual relationship with a woman when she was 17 - and later paid her hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for her silence.
Heather Jones, now 33, publicly accused Robert Sullivan, 61, of initiating a sexual relationship with her in 2009 while she was a dancer at an adult establishment outside Birmingham.
According to Jones, Sullivan - then allegedly a regular patron at the club - offered her financial support in exchange for what he described as 'private companionship,' a term Jones says included sex.
The allegations were first reported by The Guardian, to which Jones provided extensive documentation including bank records, emails from Sullivan, Venmo transactions, and a copy of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
She also submitted a formal written statement to the Diocese of Birmingham, detailing the alleged years-long relationship.
'I was a minor with no experience navigating adult relationships,' Jones wrote in her statement.
She added that she felt compelled to come forward so many years later because Sullivan continued working closely with families and children as a pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Homewood - about 5 miles outside Birmingham.
'Others may be vulnerable to the same type of manipulation and exploitation,' she told The Guardian.
Jones also alleged that in March of this year, Sullivan and his attorney arranged for her to sign an NDA in exchange for a whopping $273,000.
She also shared an unsigned copy of the agreement with reporters, along with a March 27 email from Sullivan's church email account stating, 'Someone will be calling you to sign the NDA.'
Jones says she also received two wire transfers of $136,500, each from an account under the name of the attorney's law office, one on March 31 and another on April 1, according to bank records she provided.
In addition, Venmo records from July 18, 2024, through March 26 of this year, showed nearly $120,000 in payments from an account under Sullivan's name, according to documents reviewed by The Guardian.
Jones says she requested a revision to the NDA and an additional $100,000, arguing the original agreement 'heavily favored his interests and offered no meaningful protection, healing or justice.'
But, she said her request was ignored and ultimately chose to violate the NDA, stating she believed 'it would not hold up in court.'
Jones, who recently began law school, said she could provide additional evidence such as phone records and photos if requested by investigators.
The Alabama priest has since taken a 'personal leave,' announcing on August 3 that he was taking leave 'after prayer and reflection.'
Bishop Steven Raica of the Diocese of Birmingham later confirmed in a letter to parishioners that Sullivan had been placed on leave set to begin on August 4 and that the matter had been referred to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
'Father Sullivan was granted a leave of absence and is currently removed from all priestly service pending the outcome of the investigation,' Raica wrote to the diocese.
The Diocese also reported the allegations to the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR). However, the DHR eventually determined the claims did not meet the criteria for an investigation.
Alabama law allows individuals aged 16 and older to legally consent to sex, and the state does not have laws specifically prohibiting clergy from engaging in sexual relationships with adult congregants under their spiritual care, according to the Alabama DHR.
However, under Catholic canon law, anyone under 18 is considered a minor, and sexual contact with them is considered abusive.
The Church began enforcing such rules more strictly in the early 2000s following widespread clergy abuse scandals, The Guardian reported.
Diocese spokesperson Donald Carson said that while civil authorities may not pursue the matter, Sullivan is prohibited from public ministry pending the outcome of the Church's internal investigation.
'We keep Father Sullivan and the woman who's making the allegations certainly in our prayers,' Carson said.
On Wednesday, Raica wrote in a statement to the diocese that Sullivan had 'a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise' as the investigations pending against him progressed, AL.com reported.
'Anyone accused in the Church possesses a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, equivalent to the right granted in civil law,' he wrote to the diocese.
Following Sullivan's 'absence,' Birmingham diocese vicar general Kevin Bazzel told congregants on Sunday that Raica had appointed him as Our Lady of Sorrows' temporary administrator in Sullivan's absence.