#USA #PA – An 84-year-old retired Catholic priest and longtime Pennsylvania State Police chaplain was arrested and charged Friday with sexually assaulting two men more than a decade ago at a church-owned residence for priests in Westmoreland County.
Robert Byrnes, who lived at the Christ Our Shepherd Center in Unity Township, faced charges including aggravated indecent assault without consent, two counts of official oppression, and two counts of obstructing the administration of law or other governmental functions. Authorities said the alleged incidents dated back to at least 2014, with some reports referencing conduct as early as 2009.
According to the criminal complaint, one victim reported to state police in March 2026 that Byrnes had assaulted him in May 2014 while he worked in the kitchen at the center. Investigators later identified a second victim who also worked there. Both men confronted Byrnes in recorded phone calls arranged as part of the probe.
During those calls, Byrnes allegedly urged the men not to contact police or seek therapy, pleading with them to protect the reputation of the Church, the priesthood, other priests, his family, and his own physical condition. He reportedly asked for their forgiveness and for them to ask God to forgive him. Byrnes recalled the encounters but described them as possible “gestures of friendship,” court documents stated.
Byrnes served as a chaplain for the Pennsylvania State Police and other law enforcement agencies until 2018 and had previously been honored as chaplain for the Greensburg Police Department. He was removed from active ministry in the Diocese of Greensburg on Aug. 3, 2018, following a review by the Diocesan Clergy Review Board and had not served in any parish since then.
The Diocese of Greensburg confirmed Saturday that Byrnes was no longer residing at Christ Our Shepherd Center following his arrest. “He has not been in active ministry in any parish or entity of the Diocese of Greensburg for the past eight years,” a diocesan statement said.
Following his arraignment, Byrnes was released on bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 1, 2026.
The case drew attention from groups monitoring clerical abuse, including Complicit Clergy, which highlighted the charges in a social media post linking to its coverage of the investigation. Pennsylvania has a well-documented history of priest sex abuse cases stemming from a landmark 2018 grand jury report.
Image: Robert Byrnes of the Diocese of Greensburg, who has not been in active ministry since 2018.
