OHIO PRIEST ARRESTED IN 1991 SPENCER SEX ABUSE CASE

(11/17/2012)
An Ohio Roman Catholic priest accused of taking a 10-year-old boy to Spencer, West Virginia for sex more than two decades ago was jailed Thursday.

The Rev. Robert Poandl of the Cincinnati-based Glenmary Home Missioners, was in Butler County Jail following an order by a federal magistrate judge that he be taken into custody.

A Roane County judge dismissed a case against Poandl in 2010 before it was to go to trial, the dismissal linked to a failure to present medical information related to the case in a timely manner, referring to a 1994 West Virginia case that said a delay was prejudicial to the defendant.

Poandl voluntarily surrendered to the FBI after learning of the charge.

A Glenmary statement said that the religious order has until Dec. 19 to provide documents and other information pertaining to Poandl to the U.S. attorney's office under a subpoena issued for them.

Poandl has been living under what the order calls "a safety plan" at the Cincinnati residence and has not been functioning as a priest, Glenmary's statement said.

Glenmary president Father Chet Artysiewicz said, "We have just learned of these charges today, and we are working to fully comply with the subpoena and cooperate with investigators."