By Philip Phi
Posted Aug 21, 2026 at 7:51 PM
A lawsuit has been filed in Horry County, alleging that a former priest at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Myrtle Beach sexually abused a man during his time as an altar boy in the early 1990s. The plaintiff, referred to as “John Doe,” claims that Father Robert Kelly, who served at the church from 1990 to 1994, engaged in inappropriate and exploitative behavior. The Diocese of Charleston, which operates the church, is accused of being complicit in creating an environment that facilitated such abuse, causing significant harm to the plaintiff and potentially other children.
John Doe, who volunteered at the church under Father Kelly, stated that he repressed memories of the alleged abuse until January 2021. During this period, personal reflections triggered vivid flashbacks, leading him to recognize himself as a victim of the abuse. The lawsuit describes a progression from inappropriate grooming to explicit sexual misconduct, including instances of oral sex in the priest’s sacristy before church services.
The allegations extend beyond John Doe, suggesting that other altar boys who served at the church during the same period experienced similar abuse. The lawsuit contends that the Diocese of Charleston and its bishop had a duty to protect young boys from such predatory behavior but failed to do so. This failure, the suit claims, resulted in significant emotional and psychological damage to the victims.
In response to the lawsuit, a statement from St. Andrew’s Catholic Church indicated that they are reviewing the claims and will respond appropriately. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the Diocese of Charleston, emphasizing the need for accountability and justice for the victims.
This case underscores the importance of safeguarding the vulnerable and ensuring that those in positions of authority act with integrity and care. As Micah 6:8 reminds us, “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” is a call to uphold justice and provide care for those who have suffered.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
