MARION, N.C. — A retired Roman Catholic priest from Greene County, Tenn., has pleaded guilty in a North Carolina court to sexually abusing a boy during a trip there more than 30 years ago. Warren Tucker of Jeffersonville, Ind., has said the Rev. William Casey abused him for five years, beginning in 1975 when he was a fifth-grader at St. Dominic's church in Kingsport, Tenn.
Casey, 76, was given a three-year suspended sentence in McDowell County, N.C., Superior Court on Wednesday. He will be on supervised probation in Tennessee for 24 months and will not have to go to prison if he complies with the conditions of his plea agreement. They include having a sex offender evaluation and completing any recommended treatment.
"I tell you, it's bittersweet someone can plead guilty to a sex crime felony and walk free," Tucker said after the sentencing. "But the district attorney did the best he could given what he had to deal with."
District Attorney Brad Greenway said North Carolina law at the time of the crime only recognized rape as between a man and a woman. Casey was instead charged with crimes against nature.
Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika in April banned Casey from serving as a priest after Casey acknowledged the credibility of Tucker's abuse allegations.
In an e-mailed statement sent to the media after the verdict on Wednesday, Stika offered apologies and prayers to Tucker and his family.
"I applaud him and other victims of sexual abuse for their bravery in coming forward to seek healing and justice," he wrote. "I strongly encourage all victims of abuse to do the same."
Casey served at churches in Chattanooga, Greeneville, Rogersville, Farragut and Newport in his 30 years as an active priest before retiring in 1999. After that he filled in at various parishes around the region for vacationing or absent priests. Stika has said there may be other victims.
Tucker said he still hopes that Casey will go to prison. He has filed complaints against the priest with law enforcement in Scott County, Va., and Sullivan and Greene counties in Tennessee.
"The D.A. in Sullivan County assures me they have what they need to bring a case," Tucker said.
A call to Casey's attorney was not immediately returned.
Tucker, 45, also said he received a threatening letter at his home on Saturday warning him to stop his efforts against Casey. He said he does not know who it was from, but it was postmarked in northeast Tennessee. He has turned it over to authorities.
