Crime & Safety

Former Oakland Priest Accused Of Sex Abuse

Church leaders released a list of 63 priests 'credibly accused' of child sex abuse; 1 served in Oakland.

OAKLAND, NJ — A priest who served in the borough was revealed to have been "credibly accused" of child sex abuse, a list released by the Catholic Church Wednesday shows.

The Newark Archdiocese made its list public on Wednesday morning. (See related article: Here's The List Of 63 NJ Priests Accused Of Child Sexual Abuse)

Thomas Stanford, who was ordained in 1979, has multiple alleged victims and has been permanently removed from the ministry. He served at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

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Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, said the list includes all those from New Jersey who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors dating back to 1940. Read his full statement here.

The dioceses are undertaking this action in coordination with the Attorney General of New Jersey's ongoing task force examining the issue of clergy sexual abuse.

Find out what's happening in Oaklandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In the same statement, the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Camden, Trenton, Paterson and Metuchen said they are committed to the establishment of a "Victim Compensation and Counseling Program."


Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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