Charges say Army chaplain sexually assaulted Marines

[thedrifter]

Charges say Army chaplain sexually assaulted Marines
By PHILIP ELLIOTT Courier & Press staff writer 461-0783 or elliottp@courierpress.com
August 31, 2005

A Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., priest faces charges he sexually assaulted three Marines in Qatar and Germany, where he serves as an Army chaplain.

The Rev. Gregory Arflack, a captain with the 279th Base Support Battalion in Bamberg, Germany, remains on administrative leave from his chaplain duties while military prosecutors decide if they will court-martial the 44-year-old priest.

The Army lists the charges as three counts of forcible sodomy, three counts of indecent acts, two counts of fraternization with enlisted servicemen, two counts of disobeying orders, one count of indecent assault and one count of conduct unbecoming of an officer.

Military prosecutors say the events took place March 21, 2004, in Doha, Qatar, and July 29 and 30 of this year in Bamberg. Prosecutors filed a preference for charges - similar to an indictment in civilian court - on Aug. 11.

"All of Father Arflack's duties have been relieved," said the Most Rev. John Kaising, auxiliary bishop for chaplains with the Archdiocese of the U.S. Military.

An officer has been assigned to conduct a pretrial investigation, which is comparable to a civilian grand jury hearing, to determine if officials have enough evidence to recommend a court-martial.

The Uniform Code of Military Justice, the rules that will define any proceedings, defines sodomy as "unnatural carnal copulation." It can be with a person of the same or the opposite gender, but prosecutors say the three Marines were male.

A message to Arflack's lawyer, Maj. Jeffery Lippert, was not returned.

Arflack had served the Owensboro diocese since his ordination in 1998. Arflack, a veteran of both the Air Force and the Army, took leave from the Western Kentucky diocese in 2002 to join the chaplains corps.

Owensboro Bishop John McRaith said the military archdiocese notified him of the charges, but he had not received official word from the Army.

"We just have to wait and see what the Army does," McRaith said. "He's still in Germany, and we'll withhold our own involvement until such time as they resolve the allegation."

Arflack is accountable to the Archdiocese of the U.S. Military, the international body that oversees chaplains assigned to the armed services.

McRaith said he was unaware of any other allegations.

Ellie

[HardJedi]

now how the heck did THIS happen? three Marines FORCIBLY sodomized by an army chaplain? what? was the guy like 7ft. tall and 300 pounds? something just doesn't sit right with this.

did he drug the Marines? what? I just don't se how that could happen. It's not as though the Marines were 9 years old or something. good lord.

[Devildogg4ever]

I agree! I have searched and cannot find anything that may suggest how this actually may have happened! FORCIBLY is just hard to believe!

[Joseph P Carey]

I have to agree with you guys! And, I have to ask, if such a FORCEABLE Sodomy occurred, how did the Padre make it out of the region he was in at the time? I mean it is not like he was traveling on Private Airlines, he did it through Military Transportation, under Military Orders of Transit.

This does not pass the smell test! It just has a different odor about it!

[GySgtRet]

Smells real fishey. I haven't seen anything at all either...????