Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward

Reporter: Amy Galo
Published: Updated:
sexual abuse
Alleged sexual abuse victim from priest comes forward. CREDIT: WINK News

Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.

Friday morning, an alleged sexual abuse victim from Charlotte County who has decided to go by John Doe gave a statement.

The victim said Father Riley repeatedly abused him for years while he was a student at Saint Charles School in Port Charlotte.

Coming forward with something like this is never easy, but the Charlotte County man says he felt empowered to do so after other victims did the same in Iowa.

The alleged victim says he never talked about it as a kid because Father Riley threatened to do the same to his sister if he did.

He said he filed a lawsuit against Riley and the Diocese of Venice in July 2020; in it, he explains the abuse he says occurred in the early to mid-2000s between pre-k and eighth grade. The lawsuit also alleges it all began after John Doe sought help from Father Riley.

The lawsuit claims a teacher also at St. Charles School was verbally, physically and sexually abusing him, and that when John Doe begged for Riley’s help, Riley did nothing and abused him too.



“I buried these memories very deep. When they started coming back in flashes and nightmares, I knew I needed to do something, so that Riley would not hurt anyone else,” he said. “I’m standing here now on behalf of myself, and anyone else, who was a victim of Leo P. Riley. You are not alone.”

The victim and his attorney are urging anyone else who was a potential victim to come forward.

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