Abuse in the Diocese of San Diego – Not a Problem of the Past
Recent Abuse in the Diocese of San Diego
Multiple recent sex abuse allegations in San Diego confirm a painful truth – abuse in the Diocese of San Diego is not a thing of the past.
In recent news, a St. Augustine High School religion teacher and track coach, Ryan Segura, was charged for distribution of child sexual abuse material. Investigators also discovered text messages and video exchanges between Segura and a man in Denver who has also been arrested.
During one conversation between the two, the Denver man asked Segura, “Whatre you into.”
Segura responded with, “Yng,” which an FBI special agent who authored the statement said means “young.”
Previously, Segura worked as a middle school teacher for the Diocese of San Diego in Vista, California. At a recent court hearing, Segura was denied bail and will remain in custody pending the ongoing investigation.
In another recent California clergy sexual abuse case, Fr. Theodore (Ted) Gabrielli, was charged with 26 counts of sexual assault involving three minors. Just a month later, an amended complaint was filed against Gabrielli – adding six additional charges allegedly committed against a fourth survivor. Gabrielle worked at Most Holy Trinity in San Jose as associate pastor from 1996-1998 and, again, from 2006 – 2011.
List of Abusive Priests in the Diocese of San Diego
In 2007, the Dioceses of San Diego and San Bernardino released a list of 40 clergy credibly accused of abusing minors. In 2018, the Diocese of San Diego added more names to the list – leading to a total of 51 names. While updating the list may seem like a genuine and altruistic effort, in reality it is the bare minimum. The very least a diocese can do is inform the public of credibly accused clergy. This action was not rooted in a desire for transparency – it was rooted in a desire to appear transparent. Even more incredulously, the Diocese of San Diego admitted in 2024 that it has not updated its list of credibly accused since offering the Independent Compensation Program where it’s highly likely that even more names of alleged abusers were revealed to the Diocese.
It’s also worth noting that the list does not contain any details on the allegations of abuse, current whereabouts of the credibly accused, or clarify if the clergy listed have one allegation or multiple.
Filing for Bankruptcy
Prior to filing for bankruptcy, it’s been alleged that former San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy fraudulently transferred diocesan assets to hide their true ability to pay survivors.
On June 17, 2024, the Diocese of San Diego officially filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. This expected, and ill-fated decision by the diocese is a shallow attempt to harbor perpetrators, conceal assets, delay legal proceedings, and shield survivors from obtaining true accountability. Over 400 survivors have filed child sexual abuse lawsuits against the Diocese of San Diego – and filing for bankruptcy impacts every single one of them. This bankruptcy filing does not diminish the strength and resilience of the survivors — we will continue to stand with them and fight for their voices to be heard.
Have Questions About Abuse?
Our Questions & Answers page answers frequently asked questions that survivors of abuse often have, but don’t know where to ask. We answer questions about how to report abuse, maintaining anonymity, what legal options are available, and more.