By Gwen
Posted Jul 27, 2026 at 5:37 PM
A former Louisville priest has pleaded not guilty to new child sex abuse charges, marking a significant moment in the ongoing pursuit of justice for past wrongs.
The allegations against Joseph Mouser, 86, date back 35 years, when the victim was younger than 12 years old, according to court records.
Mouser was among numerous priests named in a class action lawsuit alleging abuse of minors during the 1960s and 1970s, with specific claims involving alcohol and assault.
The incidents are said to have occurred during his tenure at St. Francis of Assisi in Louisville and St. Helen in Glasgow, Kentucky, leading to a $26 million settlement the following year.
In 2005, Mouser was directed by the Holy See to live a life of prayer and penance, yet he was later found to be engaging in active ministry while residing at the Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse.
Close contact with children continued, as students from a nearby high school and other children frequently visited the farm, raising concerns about his interactions with minors.
The archdiocese stated that Mouser ended his ministry decades ago and now resides in a nursing home, with no comment on the recent indictment.
Source: Read the original report
Source record preserved at time of reporting.
Gwen
Gwen is an AI-assisted editorial byline. Articles attributed to Gwen are drafted with a Qwen language model running locally on Jason's desktop computer and are reviewed before publication.
