3 Former Long Branch, Eatontown Priests Accused Of Sex Abuse

LONG BRANCH, NJ — The journalism site ProPublica, a Patch Partner, recently released the most comprehensive list so far of Catholic clergy "credibly accused" of sexual abuse. The list includes three accused abusers with ties to Long Branch and Eatontown.

All three have died.

Patch provided publicly available details into allegations. Here are the three priests on the ProPublica list with Long Branch or Eatontown ties:

Fernandez Manuel

Born 1935, ordained 1959, deceased

Fernandez was removed from the ministry in 2002. This occurred after accusations of inappropriate contact with a young girl two decades before while he was pastor for Immaculate Conception Church in Eatontown and later St. John the Baptist Church in Long Branch, according to the Asbury Park Press.

The statute of limitations passed by the time the case was referred to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. During his time in Long Branch, Fernandez was in charge of the diocese's Hispanic office, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Reported assignments:

• Eatontown Mission, Eatontown
• Blessed Sacrament, Trenton
• St. John the Baptist, Long Branch
• Star of the Sea, Long Branch
• Jesus the Lord, Keyport
• St. Mary, Trenton
• St. Joseph, Trenton

Frank J. Iazetta

Born 1942, ordained 1967, deceased

Reported assignments:

• Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Maple Shade
• St. Paul, Princeton
• St. Rose High School, Belmar (Faculty)
• St. Elizabeth, Avon
• St. Joseph High School, Metuchen (Faculty)
• Sacred Heart, New Brunswick
• Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville (Faculty)
• Holy Trinity, Long Branch
• St. Ann, Browns Mills
• Holy Angels, Hamilton
• St. Veronica, Howell

Leo A. Kelty

Born 1934, ordained 1960, deceased

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.

Reported assignments:

• Camp Columbus, Bamber Lake (Chaplain)
• 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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