Charron: Father Leo Charron

Leo E. Charron

Priest, Diocese of London, Ontario.  Ordained 1945. 1993 GUILTY plea to sex abuse of boy over five-year- period in the early 60s.   He was sentenced to four months in jail. The boy was 12-years-old when the abuse began.  The victim became a molester and was later charged and convicted for sex abuse of two step-children – he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Charron`s lawyer was Andrew Bradie.  Bradie also represented Father William Hodgson Marshall csb and Cameron MacLean.

____________________________________________

28 June 2018:  Accused priests. Millions in quiet payouts. And it was all kept on a list

___________________________________

Bishops of London Diocese from time of Father Charron`s  ordination:

John Thomas Kidd † (03 July 1931 – 02 June 1950) ; John Christopher Cody † (02 Jun 1950 Succeeded – 05 Dec 1963); Gerald Emmett Carter  (17 February 1964 – 29 April 1978 -Appointed, Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario);   John Michael Sherlock (7 July 1978 – 27 April 2002 )

Coadjutor Bishops:  John Christopher Cody † (06 April 1946 – Bishop: 02 Jun 1950 to 05 Dec 1963)

Auxiliary Bishop: John Michael Sherlock(25 June 1974 – Bishop, 07 Jul 1978); Marcel André J. Gervais (19 Apr 1980 – 3 May 1985); Frederick Bernard Henry (18 April 1986 -o 24 Mar 1995);  Richard John Grecco (5 December 1997 – 27 April 2002);

_______________________________________________

The following information is drawn from Canadian Catholic Directories of that date, the 1980 Ontario Catholic Directory (OCD) and media (M)

2000, 1999: not listed in directory

1998: P.O. Box 55, St. Joachim, Ontario

1997:  W277 – 25 Keil Dr. North, Chatham, Ontario

1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1002, 1991, 1985-1986:  281 West River Rd., Belle River  519-728-2073

1980:  Pastor, Immaculate Conception RC Church, Pain Court, Ontario (In Residence: Msgr. A.J. Caron)

1973-74, 1971-72:  Pastor, Immaculate Conception RC Church, Pain Court, Ontario (Msgr. A.J. Caron address is listed in index as Paincourt)

1968-69: Pastor, Immaculate Conception RC Church, Pain Court, Ontario

1964: transferred to Pain Court (M)

Sex abuse of boy which began at St. Jerome`s RC Church in Windsor continued in Pain Court (M)

1959:  Pastor,  St. Jerome RC Church, Windsor, Ontario

1945: Ordained

_________________________________

Retired parish priest jailed for sexual abuse

The Windsor Star

22 September 1993

By Roseann Danese Star Court Reporter

A retired Belle River priest was sentenced to four months in jail for sexually abusing a boy over a period of five years nearly 30 years ago.

Rev. Leo Charron, 76, pleaded guilty Tuesday to indecent assault and gross indecency against the boy, who was 12 when the abuse began.

Reading from a statement of facts, assistant Crown attorney Rod Guthrie told Mr. Justice Carl Zalev that Charron was a pastor at St. Jerome’s Church in Windsor when he met the boy, who came from a large Roman Catholic family.

Guthrie said Charron often invited the victim and other boys to the rectory to watch television, wrestle and go for car rides. His interest in the young boy became sexual and soon he was inviting him to come back to the rectory alone. He told the boy “not to tell anyone” of the incidents that occurred.

On one occasion, the victim remembers being at the Palace Theatre with Charron, who placed a coat over his lap and had the boy touch him. Those types of activities, including oral sex, occurred about once a week or less.

Gutrie said that in June 1964, Charron was transferred to Pain Court in Kent County. Sometime after his transfer, he invited the boy for a week-long visit to boat and fish. The boy received permission from his parents, travelled to Pain Court and participated in similar sexual acts as before, this time once a day. Charron took a nude photograph of the victim and engaged in other sexual acts.

The visits and the sexual assaults continued until the boy was 17.

Guthrie said the relationship between the boy and the priest was friendly long after 1968.

However, a few years ago, the victim sexually abused two stepchildren and on a plea of guilty was sent to prison for 18 months. While in prison, he took therapy and made a decision to go to the police about the priest.

The victim, now 42 years old, has since been charged with sexual offences involving a teenage girl. Guthrie said the victim feels that he is a sex offender because he was the victim of a sex offender.

Guthrie and defence lawyer Andrew Bradie made a joint submission for a four-month term. Bradie told the judge that Charron has some serious health problems, including diabetes, poor eyesight and arthritis.

Bradie said Charron has been a highly respected priest in several local parishes.

He was ordained a priest at age 28 and served at various churches in Windsor, Emeryville and Stoney Point. He currently lives with another retired priest in Belle River.

Bradie read from letters by former parishioners who remembered Charron as a dedicated priest who served the community spiritually as well as culturally and emotionally.

“The overall history . . . has been a good one,” Bradie said, adding that Charron has accepted blame and avoided proceeding with a trial.

In passing sentence, Zalev said it was a case in which the accused not only betrayed the innocence of youth, but “betrayed the church whose lofty ideals he chose to represent.”