(OSV News) — A Catholic priest ordained just over four years ago for the Diocese of Syracuse, New York, has been charged with several counts of child sexual abuse and removed from ministry.
Father Nathan W. Brooks, 36, faces four misdemeanor counts of third-degree sex abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child for incidents that took place between 2019-2021.
According to a news release issued by the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office, the complaint was filed Aug. 22, and Father Brooks was arrested Aug. 31.
Investigation findings
The sheriff’s office said in its release the investigation regarding Father Brooks “revealed that the defendant … had subjected one victim to inappropriate sexual contact on multiple occasions over several years.”
The victim “was known” to Father Brooks, the release said.
Father Brooks was arraigned Sept. 5 in Homer Town Court in Homer and then again Sept. 6 in Cortland City Court, since the alleged incidents occurred in both locales of New York state.
Bishop Lucia promises cooperation
The priest, who was ordained in 2019, has been “suspended from all priestly ministry during the investigation of these charges,” said Bishop Douglas J. Lucia of Syracuse in a statement posted on the diocese’s website.
Bishop Lucia’s Sept. 1 statement listed Father Brooks’ current assignments as administrator of the Church of the Nativity at St. Joseph in LaFayette; Immaculate Conception in Pompey; St. Leo in Tully; and St. Patrick Mission in Otisco.
“In keeping with our Memorandum of Understanding with the local County District Attorneys, the diocese has and will continue to fully cooperate with the Cortland County District Attorney’s office,” said Bishop Lucia in his statement.
The investigation is ongoing, Lt. Garry Williams of the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office told OSV News.
“There is no reason to believe there are or aren’t other victims,” he said. “If anyone comes forward based on the information we’ve been provided at this point, we’re going to investigate to our fullest.”
Father Brooks pleads not guilty
Local media reported that Father Brooks has pleaded not guilty and is being represented by Syracuse-based attorney Michael J. Vavonese. OSV News did not receive an immediate response to its request for comment Sept. 6 from Vavonese’s office.
Danielle Cummings, communications director for the Diocese of Syracuse, told OSV News that Father Brooks has retained “separate counsel not provided by the diocese.”
Court documents detailing the charges have not yet been made available online, a staff member at the Homer Town Court office advised OSV News, which has submitted a request for electronic copies of the documents.
Charges against Father Brooks
The Post-Standard newspaper, which obtained copies of the documents, reported the charges stem from complaints made by a now-18-year-old girl and her mother regarding incidents that happened to her starting when she was 14. In her deposition to the sheriff’s office, the girl said she and her mother decided to come forward after observing Father Brooks interact inappropriately toward other girls.
According to The Post-Standard, the mother said in the deposition that Brooks had met the family in 2019 when he became their parish priest, and was often invited to their home. The newspaper reported the girl said in her statement that while swimming with her, Father Brooks had at times brushed his hand across her vagina, pulled her toward him and set her on his lap, and she received “long hugs” including one where she felt him to be sexually aroused.
The girl and her mother’s deposition, reported The Post-Standard, stated that Father Brooks would constantly send the girl “flirty” messages, even though the mother had forbidden him to do so, reminding him of diocesan policies that prevent priests from contacting minors.
The Post-Standard reported the girl said Father Brooks told her to delete the messages to avoid detection by her mother, and he also interacted inappropriately with her during a bus trip for a youth outing. She said in her deposition, “We were way too close and I realize now that this was inappropriate.”
Finding God at Disney
In a video detailing his vocation story, which was posted to the Diocese of Syracuse’s YouTube channel March 11, 2020, Father Brooks said his journey to priesthood mirrored the calling of the reluctant prophet Jonah, who initially fled God’s order to preach to the people of Nineveh. Despite sensing a call to priesthood while in grade school, “I ignored it; I really pushed it down,” said Father Brooks.
He detailed his various career choices, which he said included a college internship as a lifeguard at Walt Disney World in Florida, which led to a second position as a manager at the complex’s water park.
“While I was down there, I found joy in my life. I found happiness,” he said. “I felt that I was doing what I was meant to be doing.”
Yet “God really wasn’t part of the equation at that time,” Father Brooks admitted. Eventually, “God started to come back in my life in a very real way,” he said. “All of a sudden I felt like I needed to go back to church.”
Entering seminary
Father Brooks said he continued to struggle with the call to priesthood, citing fears of “being alone, of not having a family … of not being successful.”
With the help of a pastor, Father Brooks said he finally overcame those fears to enter St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.
While stressing he had the support of his own family, Father Brooks said that “since I’ve been ordained a priest, the parishes I’m a part of have truly become part of my family.”
“I’ve been invited in so many different ways to share in their lives, and it brings me such joy when I’m able to think about those opportunities, the good and the bad times,” he said. “I have the opportunity to be part of an amazing youth group right now, where I’m able to share my story with kids … to get to know them and to see them grow, to truly be a dad to them, a father to them.”
Tentative settlement with survivors
Bishop Lucia’s statement said the news of the charges against Father Brook is “distressing news.”
The Syracuse Diocese in July tentatively reached a 100 million dollar settlement with survivors of clergy sexual abuse as part of its journey out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“As a Catholic family, we have been on a journey of trying to make amends for the great harm that was caused in the past and now we are faced with this situation,” Bishop Lucia said. “Like me, I can only assume that you have many questions, but we must prayerfully await the conclusion of the investigation.”
