Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003 | 11:17 a.m.
A Henderson priest accused of abusing five teenage boys at his church while claiming to spiritually counsel them pleaded guilty to reduced charges Thursday in District Court and could face a sentence of five years in prison.
The Rev. Mark Roberts, 51, formerly a priest at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Henderson, pleaded guilty to one count of open or gross lewdness and four counts of child abuse and neglect before District Court Judge Joseph Bonaventure.
All five counts are gross misdemeanors. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the two felony counts of using boys to produce pornographic photos.
Roberts will be sentenced March 10 before District Court Judge Donald Mosley.
Prison time or probation will be up to Mosley's discretion. But each count carries a possible one-year sentence, Herndon said.
Herndon said Roberts will probably receive probation unless a psychiatric report says he is likely to re-offend.
Under the deal, Roberts will resign from the priesthood, prosecutors said.
Debora Tullgren, the mother of one the victims, said as long as that happens, she is satisfied.
"Our main concern is that he never will be allowed to use his possession to alter the lives of people like this again," she said. "The forgiveness process will come along. It's not here now.
"We just hope the judge will realize how so many lives were changed, and not only the victims' but the victims' family."
In a statement issued this morning, Bishop Joseph Pepe of the Las Vegas Diocese called it a "sad day" and said "we are praying for everyone involved."
"We continue to focus on the healing process for the sake of the victims, our Diocese and its members," Pepe said. "We are continuing to do all we can to assist those individuals that have been affected by this situation."
According to the Very Rev. Robert Stoeckig, the diocese's vicar general, the diocese immediately contacted authorities and suspended Roberts, which prevents him from performing any duties as a priest at any Catholic church.
The guilty plea relates to fondling, verbally abusing and beating five boys between Jan 1, 2001 and Feb. 1, 2002.
Roberts also pleaded guilty to whipping the boys with a leather belt and pouring hot candle wax on the boys while having them stand with their arms stretched out, as if they were on a cross, according to the plea agreement.
All the charges are gross misdemeanors, which means Roberts could be placed on probation or sentenced to spend a maximum of five years in prison, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Herndon.
Bonaventure granted a psychological and psychiatric evaluation of Roberts prior to sentencing, at the request of Robert's attorney, George Foley, Sr.
If the evaluation proves Roberts not likely to re-offend, prosecutors won't argue for the maximum sentence, Herndon said.
Family members of the boys became emotional as Bonaventure read aloud in the courtroom the details of each count, stating the names of victims.
Stated in the plea agreement are several conditions of Robert's probation, if he receives it, Herndon said.
One such stipulation is that Roberts must terminate his priesthood and not be around children, particularly the victims, while he is on probation, according to the agreement.
Herndon became emotional when he spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.
"We wanted to maintain whatever control we could if he were to be placed on probation," he said. "What we have is a series of gross misdemeanor acts, despite how shocking they are to the public. There are always lapses where we think, 'Oh my God, how could this act be only this level of a crime.' "
Roberts allegedly took Polaroid photos of the boys performing various acts, Herndon said.
But because the photos were given back to the boys and destroyed, those charges would have been difficult to prove, he said.
Tullgren's son was just 16 years old when the incidents began, she said.
Tullgren and her family have since left St. Peter the Apostle and have joined another Catholic church, she said.
"We believe in the Roman Catholic doctrine," she said. "There are other Catholic churches."
Tullgren said she is chartering a chapter of SNAP, Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, in Las Vegas.
archive
