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.

Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee

Walter M. Emala

Status: Deceased (2008)

Appeared under the heading: “Before the Diocese of Knoxville was established in 1988, the priests who served in this region were under the pastoral leadership and oversight of the Diocese of Nashville. The following is a list of priests credibly accused in the Diocese of Nashville who held assignments in parishes which are now part of the Diocese of Knoxville.”

Birth Year: 1925

Ordination year: 1952

Reported assignment history:

Associate Pastor of Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville
CYO Director for the East Tennessee Deanery

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.