5 days ago
NFL star stuns parish as he furiously interrogates church leader over priest's porn accusations
NFL long snapper Jake McQuaide was forcibly removed from a Catholic mass after he questioned whether a priest had viewed pornography on a parish computer.
McQuaide, a 14-year NFL veteran, was escorted out of a service at Our Lady of Visitation in Green Township, Ohio by two police officers Saturday after he stood up in his pew to demand answers.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati Chancellor Jason Williams had read a letter addressing a recent controversy that had rocked the parish. Namely, the allegations against Father Martin Bachman accusing him of using a parish-owned computer to view pornography.
The archdiocese insisted that the allegation was false and that Fr. Bachman would be taking a 'previously planned sabbatical.'
As Fr. Williams finished addressing the congregation and began walking away from the lectern, McQuaide quickly rose to his feet and began loudly and clearly questioning the chancellor.
'Please take a second. We want to put these rumors to rest. Can you answer this for me, fact or fiction,' McQuaide began.
'This is not the time for this,' a voice from the altar interjected.
Undeterred, McQuaide continued to press. 'I'm sorry, sir, this is the time and the place. I will stand up,' he continued.
'Did the priest use our parish computer to look at pornography? True or false?' he bellowed in the direction of the altar.
'I am not trespassing,' he argued as two officers approached his pew to begin escorting him up the church's central aisle. 'You can look at pornography at your house, but you cannot do it here.'
McQuaide also suggested that he had seen the images in question from the priest's computer.
has contacted Our Lady of Visitation and McQuaide for comment but has yet to hear back.
McQuaide, a Cincinnati native, was signed by the St. Louis Rams - now Los Angeles Rams - as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played for the Rams for 10 years, including the 2019 season when the franchise reached the Super Bowl.
He signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 and has since gone on to enjoy brief stints with the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings. He most recently played for the Miami Dolphins during the 2024 season.
Green Township Police Captain Mitch Hill confirmed to that someone from the church had contacted the department to request for a police detail to be stationed at all masses throughout the weekend.
Cpt. Hill further confirmed that McQuaide had been removed at the request of the church but had not been arrested nor charged.
The letter read by the chancellor had been penned by Robert Casey, the Archbishop of Cincinnati, with the intention of addressing the speculation. He insisted that both Fr. Bachman and another diocese priest, Fr. Donald Siciliano, were in good standing.
'Several concerns have been brought to the attention of the archdiocese. These have been investigated, and no wrongdoing — either criminally or ecclesiastically — has been substantiated … consequently, like gossip, the spreading of rumors is sinful, and we should all work to overcome this tendency of our fallen human nature,' the letter read.
'Both Father Siciliano and Father Bachman are priests in good standing in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. There are no ecclesiastical investigations being conducted related to their conduct; additionally, despite defamatory statements being circulated in the community, Green Township police confirmed to the archdiocese that there is no evidence or investigation of criminal wrongdoing by Fr. Bachman,' it added.
Hamilton County prosecutor's office confirmed to that it had not opened investigations into any allegations against Frs. Bachman and Siciliano. It also stated that it had no record of communication between the prosecutor's office and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
However, in December 2023, Green Township police did investigate an unrelated incident which occurred at a home owned by the archdiocese, located near the church, according to WCPO.
The victim, who was kept anonymous in accordance with Ohio law, alleged that he lost $58,000 from an online investment account.
They also reportedly told police that a person he met online threatened to 'send pictures of their conversations to his parishes' in multiple emails. The victim also reportedly admitted that 'their conversations were sexual in nature, which is breaking his policies with the parishes.'
The suspect's IP address was tracked back to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. The incident was listed as telecommunications fraud but no arrests were able to be made.
Meanwhile, McQuaide isn't the only member of the congregation left disgruntled by the lack of transparency at Divine Mercy Parish and Schools, which includes Our Lady of Visitation.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 707 people had signed a petition organized by a group called the Concerned Parents of Divine Mercy Family of Parishes. The petition, which aims to reach 750 signatures, calls for more transparent and inclusive leadership decisions.
McQuaide, who attended Elder high school in the Cincinnati area, is currently a free agent following the end of the 2024 season and is without a team three months out from the beginning of the new campaign.
