Former Shelby Township priest faces 15 years in prison for sexual abuse

LANSING, Mich. – A former Macomb County priest was sentenced to 15 years of prison after being convicted of sex abuse.

On Tuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced in a news release that Neil Kalina had been convicted on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

“This is a victory for the survivors who fought to see their abusers held accountable,” Nessel said. “Regardless of how much time has passed or how difficult a case may be, my prosecutors are committed to securing justice for the victims of clergy abuse. Adults who prey upon and subject children to abuse belong in prison.”

Kalina was first charged in the spring of 2019 and arrested in Littlerock, California.

Officials said he was a priest at St. Kiernan Catholic Church in Shelby Township from 1982-1985.