WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – A former Ann Arbor priest was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Timothy Crowley, 74, pleaded guilty in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on Aug. 23. Crowley previously worked as a priest at St. Thomas Rectory in Ann Arbor. He was arrested in 2019 in Tempe, Arizona.
On Wednesday, Nov. 8, Crowley was sentenced to one year at the Washtenaw County Jail and five years of probation. He was also sentenced to receive sex offender treatment and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The attorney general’s office began an investigation into clergy abuse at Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses in 2018. Michigan State Police and other law enforcement agencies have assisted.
Criminal charges have been issued in 11 cases throughout Michigan. Convictions have come down in nine of those cases. Two other defendants are pending extradition from India.
“I continue to be proud of the work my clergy abuse team is doing to obtain justice in these cases,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “This sentence will never erase the pain Mr. Crowley inflicted on those who trusted him, but it serves as an example of our pursuit of justice related to clergy abuse and, hopefully, can provide some sense of relief to his many victims.”
Anyone who wants to submit information to the attorney general’s clergy abuse investigation team can visit the department’s website, call the hotline at 844-324-3374, or email the clergy abuse team at aginvestigations@michigan.gov.