Charleston, W.Va., Sep 2, 2010 / 01:08 am
A judge in West Virginia has dismissed all charges against a Catholic priest from Cincinnati who was accused of molesting a 10-year-old boy in 1991. Attorneys for the priest, who was suspended for over a year because of the allegations, said the ruling found that the accuser had manipulated and falsified evidence.
In January a Roane County grand jury indicted Fr. Robet F. Poandl, 68, on charges of molesting the alleged victim at the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Spencer, West Virginia, the Charleston Gazette reports.
The charges were dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning he cannot be prosecuted on the same charges in the future.
Judge David W. Nibert had ordered the accuser to disclose certain records, but the accuser never made a complete disclosure.