Family: Sex offender molested our son before repeat offense

FORT MYERS, Fla. – A local family is suing the Diocese of Venice and St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church for allegedly failing to act after a church volunteer allegedly molested their 10-year-old son.

Robert Little is a registered sex offender and former Eucharistic minister and volunteer at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church located on South Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers. Little was removed from the church in 2014 after he was arrested and plead guilty to molesting an underage boy in 2014.

Little’s conviction landed him a nearly one-year sentence in prison. The boy he was charged with molesting was also a member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

But that is not the child referred to in a recent civil lawsuit that mentions being taken Little. A family says that three years before Little’s removal from the Church, he held a candle lighter to their son’s crotch. The civil lawsuit claims the Diocese did not take action after the family reported Little to church leaders.

Lawyers for the Church rebut the family’s allegations, saying that it responded swiftly.

Uncovered deposition tapes point to a meeting the Church held with Little but no repercussions after the family’s complaint.

Interrogator: Were you ever told by anyone to stay away from ********?
Robert Little: No.
Interrogator: After the meeting at the rectory about *****, did your work with
the church continue as usual?
Robert Little: Yes.
Interrogator: Was there any restrictions of any kind placed on you?
Robert Little: No.

The Diocese lawyers said Little was given a memo detailing the meeting held and ordering him to stay away from the family and 10-year-old boy.

“Father Simko and I asked Mr. Little to not be present at any of the 8:15 AM masses for the rest of the week (school year), to make no contact with the ***** family,” lawyers said.

In the lawsuit, the family also alleges that Little has a fixation with young boys. But in November 2015 recordings from deposition tapes, Little denies any history of sexual abuse with children.

Interrogator: Do you have a lengthy history of sexually abusing minors?
Robert Little: No.

Little continued to volunteer at the church until 2014 until he was convicted for molesting a different boy.

Spokespeople for Diocese said they could not comment on pending litigation but the Diocese released a statement that read:

“Protecting children and vulnerable adults is considered to be a top priority within the Diocese of Venice in Florida. … The Diocese continues to be vigilant in establishing and enforcing policies and procedures which diminish dangers facing the most vulnerable of God’s people.”

The 10-year-old boy’s family questions whether the Church has any new rules to prevent the future abuse of children. Little was never arrested in the case involving the family that is suing.

The name of the 10-year-old boy and his family’s name have been redacted to protect the identity of the minor.