Credibly Accused

Search lists of U.S. Catholic clergy that have been deemed credibly accused of sexual abuse or misconduct.

Published Jan. 28, 2020

This database was last updated in January 2020 and should only be used as a historical snapshot of the lists published by dioceses and religious orders. There may be changes to those records that are not reflected here.

If you find an error in the data or would like to suggest changes, contact us.

Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland

W Vincent Bechtel

Status: Deceased

Appeared under the heading: “List of Priests and Brothers Accused of Child Sexual Abuse”

Birth Year: Not reported

Ordination year: Not reported

Reported assignment history:

Mount Saint Joseph High School from 1979 until his retirement in 1989
Previously, he served at St. Agnes (Catonsville) from 1950 to 1963
St. Paul Latin High School from 1962 to 1969
Cardinal Gibbons High School from 1969 to 1973
St. Lawrence (Baltimore) from 1973 to 1979

If you find an error in the data or would like to suggest changes, contact us.

Sources: U.S Catholic dioceses and religious orders, ProPublica reporting, Pontifical Yearbook (2019)

Data entry by: Tatyana Bellamy-Walker, Grace Haley, Samantha Maldonado, Spencer Norris, Anna Pouza, Lilia Saul

You can download this complete dataset at the ProPublica Data Store.