Ohio Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

Ohio’s current criminal statute of limitations (SOL) provides a longer period of time for law enforcement to apprehend and prosecute sex abuse offenders than it does for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil justice. Unfortunately, this will continue to be the case as no meaningful SOL reform bills have been proposed in the state’s legislature. Civil SOL laws enable lawyers handling sexual abuse claims in Ohio to file cases against sexual predators, including clergy members, and the Catholic Church.

Below you will find Ohio lawsuits news & updates, as well as additional information on Ohio’s statute of limitations laws. These laws are important because they dictate how long a lawyer handling Ohio sexual assault cases has to file a claim on behalf of a survivor. In addition, we’ve compiled a list of Ohio settlements received by sexual abuse and assault survivors and a list of Ohio’s ‘credibly’ accused priests released by Ohio’s Dioceses.

Ohio Statute of Limitations for Sexual Abuse & Assault

Ohio’s criminal statute of limitations (SOL) laws are much better suited to helping survivors of sexual abuse receive criminal justice rather than civil justice. Currently, the criminal SOL for most felony sex offenses is almost a decade longer than the civil SOL.

Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws for Ohio

In Ohio, the criminal SOL for rape and sexual battery is capped at age 43. There is a DNA provision for rape and sexual battery which eliminates the SOL if there is a DNA match within 25 years of the offense. The criminal SOL for most felony sex offenses against minors is age 38 and for misdemeanors it is age 20. Child USA, who has evaluated every state based on its criminal statute of limitations laws, gave Ohio a Criminal SOL letter grade of D, on the traditional A-F scale, where A is the best. A letter grade of D is defined as a criminal SOL that expires between age 40 and 50.

Civil Statute of Limitations Laws for Ohio

In Ohio, the current civil SOL for child sex abuse claims is age 30. Currently, there is a no common law discovery rule for child sexual abuse claims. Child USA, who has also evaluated every state based on its civil statute of limitations laws, gave Ohio a Civil SOL Age Cap letter grade of F, on the traditional A-F scale, where A is the best. A letter grade of F is defined as a civil SOL age cap of age 34 and younger.

If you or someone you love was sexually abused or assaulted in Ohio, contact us now. Due to Ohio’s current laws, those sexually abused as a minor may still have a claim against their abuser, depending upon how long ago the abuse occurred. Even if the abuser is deceased, you may still have a claim against the organization responsible.

Go to our main sexual abuse page to learn more about the process of filing a clergy sexual abuse claim.

Ohio Sexual Abuse Settlements

July 2004 – A settlement of $150,000 was reached between the Diocese of Toledo and a man who claimed he was molested as a child by Rev. Bernard Kokocinski. As part of the settlement, the 13 parishes of the Diocese were to include an announcement of the credible accusation in their weekly bulletins, however only half managed to do so. The Diocese contended that the omission in the bulletins was just a mistake and would be rectified.

August 2004 – The Diocese of Toledo agreed to pay $1.19 million to 23 people to settle claims of sexual abuse of minors by clergy. Individual settlements ranged from $4,500 to $150,000. The payments will come from the Diocese’s insurance.

March 2005 – An independent tribunal mailed out more than $3 million in checks from a victim’s compensation fund to over 120 victims of clergy abuse in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Compensation for survivors would vary and be based on several factors, including the severity of the abuse, the age of the victim and the impact on the victim’s life.

August 2020 – The Diocese of Columbus reached a $1 million settlement with a former student of St. Charles Preparatory School who claimed he was sexually molested at least six times by Monsignor Thomas Bennett, a teacher at the school. None of the accused parties made any admissions of guilt as part of the settlement.

The settlements listed above are offered for educational purposes only and do not guarantee any future outcome or settlement. Each legal situation is different, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We do not maintain that is a full list of all settlements in the state of Ohio but merely a grouping of those we choose to share on our website. Please contact us if you would like additional settlements included or if you notice any inaccuracies on our site. We strive to provide our viewers the most up to date and accurate information as possible.

Ohio Catholic Dioceses Release Names of Clergy Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Children

Catholic Dioceses in Ohio have released the names of priests and clergy members who they deemed to be ‘credibly accused’ of sexual abuse of a child.

The lists below will be updated as litigation or investigations are concluded so that new names of credibly accused priests in Ohio can be added.

Use the links below to navigate directly to a particular diocese’s clergy list.

• Archdiocese of Cincinnati Credibly Accused Priest List
• Diocese of Cleveland Credibly Accused Priest List
• Diocese of Columbus Credibly Accused Priest List
• Diocese of Steubenville Credibly Accused Priest List
• Diocese of Toledo Credibly Accused Priest List
• Diocese of Youngstown Credibly Accused Priest List

Archdiocese of Cincinnati Credibly Accused Priest List

Diocese of Cleveland Credibly Accused Priest List

Diocese of Columbus Credibly Accused Priest List

Diocese of Steubenville Credibly Accused Priest List

Diocese of Toledo Credibly Accused Priest List

Diocese of Youngstown Credibly Accused Priest List

Click to view our larger list of accused priests. Here you can search by accused clergy first and last name, Parish/Diocese, city and state, and even by the years of their assignments.

Ohio Sexual Abuse Lawsuits: News & Updates