2 Former Lacey Clergyman 'Credibly Accused' Of Sex Abuse

LACEY, NJ — The journalism site ProPublica, a Patch Partner, recently released the most comprehensive list so far of Catholic clergy "credibly accused" of sexual abuse. Two have ties with Lacey.

Douglas U. Hermansen served at St. Pius X in Forked River. He was born in 1952 and ordained in 1979, but he has since been removed from ministry.

Hermansen was credibly accused of sexually abusing one victim, according to the Trenton Diocese. The Diocese didn't provide any information about the allegation, so it wasn't immediately clear where he served when it occurred.

Leo A. Kelty, the other accused priest with Lacey ties, was a chaplain at Camp Columbus in Bamber Lake. Born in 1934 and ordained in 1960, he has since died.

Read more: Full List Released Of NJ Catholic Clergy Accused Of Sex Assault

Kelty was removed from ministry in 2002 after he was accused of sexually touching a teenage girl decades earlier as pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Freehold Township, according to the Asbury Park Press. His case was referred to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, which said too much time had passed since the abuse to bring charges, the Asbury Park Press reported.

The Diocese of Trenton placed Hermansen and Kelty last year on its list of clergymen "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors. Read more: Two Clergymen With Lacey Ties Accused Of Child Sex Abuse

Hermansen's other assignments included the following, according to ProPublica:

• St. Paul, Princeton
• Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville (Chaplain)
• St. Raphael, Hamilton
• St. Rose of Lima, Freehold
• St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel (Chaplain)
• Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune (Chaplain)

ProPublica also listed the following assignments for Kelty:

• St. Mary, Perth Amboy
• Ascension, Bradley Beach
• St. Ann, Keansburg
• St. Dorothea, Eatontown
• St. James, Jamesburg
• Corpus Christi, South River
• St. Catharine, Holmdel
• St. William the Abbot, Howell

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