Former ​Farmington-Area Priest Accused Of Sexual Assault

FARMINGTON, MI — A former priest in the Farmington area has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor following an investigation by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office into allegations of sexual abuse within the seven Catholic dioceses across the state.

Gary Berthiaume, 78, is charged with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, a 15-year felony, Nessel's office announced Tuesday. He was arrested on the felony charge Tuesday at his home in Warrendale, Illinois. He will face extradition to Farmington, where charges were authorized last week, according to the AG's office.

The victim, who was 14 at the time, reported the assault took place in August 1977 at the rectory of Our Lady of Sorrows in Farmington, where Berthiaume was a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit, according to Nessel.

Berthiaume was arrested in 1977 for sexual assault of two other minors in Michigan, the AG's office said. After serving a jail sentence in the Oakland County Jail, Berthiaume was transferred to the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio. He was moved again in 1987 to the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois, according to Nessel.

“My office’s investigation into clergy abuse will continue to receive, review and act upon credible allegations of abuse on behalf of the many victims who have come forward,” Nessel said. “Criminal sexual conduct at any level must not be tolerated, and we must ensure justice is served to those who assault others — particularly those authority figures and people in powerful positions who prey on the weak and vulnerable.”

The AG's office said it seized 1.5 million paper documents and 3.5 million electronic documents through search warrants executed in October 2018. Including Berthiaume, the investigation has resulted in criminal charges being filed against 11 individuals with ties to the Catholic Church, Nessel said.