A priest who ministered at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Smith's for several years is facing a $10 million lawsuit amid claims he sexually abused a 15-year-old boy in the United States.

The allegations against Rev. Robert Thacker include sodomy, kissing, fondling and inappropriate touching.

Rev. Thacker is now being sued along with the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia by Frank Jarrell, 51, of California.

Jarrell, a member of Rev. Thacker's American congregation, claims he was abused by the minister in Virginia in the 1960s.

He also claims the Virginia diocese knew about the abuse but did nothing about it.

According to the lawsuit - obtained by The Royal Gazette - Rev. Thacker is a priest in the Episcopal Church who currently lives in Japan. But he has maintained a canonical residence through the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia.

The lawsuit states that when Jarrell was 15 and living in Welch, West Virginia, he “expressed a desire to learn about the beliefs, rituals and practices of the Episcopal Church”.

It adds Rev. Thacker “counselled (Jarrell) on religious matters but intertwined these actions with improper homosexual behaviour”.

It claims that Rev. Thacker “provided the plaintiff with alcohol in an effort to lower his inhibitions and to encourage him to engage in the improper sexual activities... The improper sexual activities included, but were not limited to acts of sodomy, kissing, fondling and other inappropriate and unlawful touching by defendant Thacker against the plaintiff”.

According to the lawsuit, the diocese was told about the abuse in 2002 and “...knew or should have known that defendant Thacker was a paedophile and/or otherwise posed a substantial risk of committing improper sexual acts upon teenage boys with whom he had contact, including the plaintiff”.

The lawsuit goes on to say: “The conduct alleged above has caused (Jarrell) to suffer from, among other things, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Substance abuse related psychological issues, Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Affective Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder”.

The alleged sex abuse took place in 1968, when Rev. Thacker had “just graduated from seminary where, upon information and belief, he was permitted to and did engage in improper homosexual conduct,” according to the lawsuit. It states that after he was assigned to the Virginia diocese Rev. Thacker “suffered from emotional distress, psychiatric problems, depression, discouragement and a lack of appropriate supervision by the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, which contributed to cause him to commit the improper sexual activities”.

Rev. Thacker, who is married and has two children, worked at the Christ Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Virginia from 1985 to 1990, just before coming to Bermuda. He arrived on the Island in 1991.

Bishop Heath Light in Virginia confirmed for The Royal Gazette that the same Rev. Thacker accused of sexual abuse did minister in St. Mark's in Smith's from 1991 into the late 90s. In 2002, Rev. Thacker was a priest at St. Alban's Anglican-Episcopal church in Tokyo, although his present whereabouts are unknown.

The lawsuit was filed in Roanoke, Virginia and made public on Friday. Virginia law firm McGuireWoods LLP is representing the diocese. It is not known who is representing Rev. Thacker.

This week news of the American lawsuit against one of their former priests took top Bermudian Anglicans by surprise.

Head of the Anglican Church in Bermuda, Bishop the Rt. Rev. Ewen Ratteray, declined to comment when informed about the lawsuit. However, one of the current wardens of St. Mark's church, Colin Campbell, told The Royal Gazette that: “All sorts of allegations are proved most of the time to be incorrect.”

Mr. Campbell went on to say Rev. Thacker would “still be Minister” had immigration rules not been changed.

He said he “never had any notion that (Rev. Thacker) would be disposed to such activity. He baptised my sons and helped me to deal with the passing of members of my family”.

“He was a highly respected and missed minister. He's a good man.”