ALLEGAN, MI (WTVB) – A Catholic priest who served a number of parishes in southwest Michigan could be on his way to prison. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Wednesday announced the second conviction in her department’s ongoing clergy abuse investigation.
Father Brian Stanley, 57, of Coloma, pleaded guilty to one felony count of Attempted False Imprisonment during his final pretrial conference before Allegan County Circuit Court Chief Judge Margaret Bakker.
Stanley faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.
Stanley was charged in August after being accused of secreting away a teenaged boy and holding him against his will in the janitor’s room of St. Margaret’s Church in 2013.
Stanley reportedly immobilized the young man by wrapping him tightly in plastic wrap, then used masking tape as additional binding and to cover his eyes and mouth. Stanley left the victim, bound and alone, in the janitor’s room for an extended period of time before returning and eventually letting him go.
“Mr. Stanley’s decision to plead guilty to Attempted False Imprisonment ensures that he will be held accountable for the pain and suffering he has caused,” Nessel said. “His guilty plea marks the second conviction in our aggressive pursuit of justice for all those who have been victimized by priests or members of the clergy.”
Stanley’s sentencing date has been set for January 27, 2020.
