They could be living anywhere, unchecked, unregistered and under no suspicion. What’s to stop a priest who’s molested
children from living where he chooses, free to mingle in your
neighborhood, greet your kids, earn their trust, and yours?
Sometimes, absolutely nothing. Our statute of limitations permits this
freedom, from both supervision and prison, creating an irony 13 years
ago that helped expose the church sex abuse scandal, while allowing
priests guilty of horrific crimes to walk free.