Latest news with #longsnapper
The Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
NFL long snapper causes commotion in church after interrupting service to demand answers over porn claims
NFL long snapper Jake McQuaide was escorted out of an Ohio church by police after he demanded that a Catholic priest explain his alleged use of a diocese computer to view pornography. McQuaide — who formerly played for the Vikings and the Dolphins — was at Our Lady of the Visitation in Green Township, Ohio on Saturday and demanded answers from Cincinnati Archdiocese Chancellor Jason Williams, who was addressing parishioners about allegations that priest Martin Bachman had used a church computer to watch porn. One of the church members, Todd Zureick, claimed he saw images on a laptop containing "thumbnails to pornography sites and links to multiple virtual reality role-playing sites involving pornography, sexual assault, group sex, rape, and occult themes," WCPO reported. He filed a complaint with the church earlier this year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. During the Saturday meeting at the church, Williams read a letter from Archbishop Robert Casey saying the rumors weren't true. '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 said. McQuaide wasn't satisfied by the letter's blanket rejection of the claims, and stood up and made clear he wanted more information. 'Please take a second. We want to put these rumors to rest. Can you answer this for me … fact or fiction,' he said, according to WCPO. The broadcaster reports that someone at the altar told the NFL players that it wasn't the right time for him to push for more information, but he disagreed. 'I'm sorry, sir, this is the time and the place. I will stand up. … Did the priest use our parish computer to look at pornography?" he said. "You can look at pornography at your house, but you cannot do it here.' Green Township police officers, who were asked to attend the Saturday meeting to keep the peace, then escorted McQuaide out of the church. Captain Mitch Hill of the Green Township Police Department said the NFL player was not detained and has not been charged with a crime. Hill noted that even if a priest had looked at pornography using a church computer, it's not illegal. 'We were not provided any complaints from parishioners, but absent an aggravating factor, viewing pornography in and of itself would not be illegal or cause to launch a criminal investigation,' he told WCPO. The priest at the center of the allegations is reportedly going to be away on a sabbatical that the Archbishop insisted was not related to the rumors. Green Township police have said their investigation found no evidence of crimes committed by any members of the clergy. According to WCPO, more than 700 people from the surrounding area have signed a petition demanding transparency about the issue.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
NFL vet Jake McQuaide escorted out of Mass by police after confrontation over porn accusations against priest
NFL long snapper Jake McQuaide was escorted out of a church in Ohio by police over the weekend after he confronted a member of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati during Mass over allegations that a priest used a parish-owned computer to access pornography. The incident unfolded at Our Lady of the Visitation in Green Township on Saturday when Archdiocese of Cincinnati Chancellor Jason Williams addressed parishioners during Mass regarding the recent accusations against the Rev. Martin Bachman, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Williams read a letter from Archbishop Robert Casey in which he said all concerns "have been investigated, and no wrongdoing either criminally or ecclesiastically has been substantiated" against Buchman or the parish's pastor, Don Siciliano. "Furthermore, recent rumors, for which no corroborating facts have been uncovered, are unsubstantiated," the letter continued. "Rumors which quickly spiral out of control have the potential to severely harm the good reputation which each of us should enjoy. Consequently, like gossip, the spreading of rumors is sinful, and we should all work to overcome this tendency of our fallen human nature." Casey noted that the Green Township Police Department confirmed to the archdiocese that there was "no evidence or investigation of criminal wrongdoing by Fr. Bachman." The letter also noted there are no ongoing "ecclesiastical investigations." But during Williams' address, McQuaide stood up from his pew to demand more clarity. "Please take a second. We want to put these rumors to rest. Can you answer this for me, fact or fiction?" McQuaide was heard saying in a video obtained by WCPO. Someone in the video is heard responding, "This is not the time for this," but McQuaide continues. "I'm sorry, sir, this is the time and the place. I will stand up." Officers with the Green Township Police Department are seen escorting McQuaide out of the church. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, police were asked by the archdiocese to attend Mass in the event of disruptions. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Capt. Mitch Hill said McQuaide "was escorted out at the specific direction of the church" and that he was not arrested or charged with any crime. Hill also noted that Bachman "has not been the target of an investigation by this department" and that Green Township police have not been asked to investigate any matters involving him. One parishioner told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he filed a complaint with the archdiocese after allegedly seeing images on the parish computer "that included thumbnail links to adult pornography sites and other sites with explicit content." While the man said the images appear legal, he believed they violated parish rules. In his letter, Casey said Bachman will take a "previously planned sabbatical" in July. McQuaide, 37, is currently a free agent after spending last season with three teams, including most recently the Miami Dolphins. He spent the majority of his 14-year career in the NFL playing for the now-Los Angeles Rams, with whom he was a two-time Pro Bowler. He also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
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.
