A former Chattanooga priest is set to be arraigned at 2 p.m. today in Virginia on child molestation charges.
William Casey faces one charge of committing an indecent act with a minor and another charge of sodomy with a minor, said officials at the court clerk's office in Scott County, Va.
The charges are in connection with several incidents involving Casey and a Kingsport, Tenn., boy in the 1970s.
Since he was accused in April, Casey told church officials that "there may be other victims," bringing concerns to Chattanoogans who attended Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church during the time Casey served there from 1969 to 1972.
Calls to Casey's attorney were not returned last week.
Susan Vance, of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Sts. Peter and Paul Church was Casey's first assignment.
"Note that Sts. Peter and Paul had a rather large Catholic elementary school attached, which does not bode well when a pedophile priest is near," she said.
So far, no victims are known to have come forward from Chattanooga.
George Schmidt, current pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul, said he was shocked to learn about the allegations against Casey in Kingsport, but does not know if any incidents happened in Chattanooga.
"I would be equally surprised if I found out that it did happen here," Schmidt said.
After allegations arose earlier this year, church officials from the Diocese of Knoxville, which covers East Tennessee, held "healing sessions" in several East Tennessee churches to ask potential victims to come forward. A third-party counselor was on duty for the 12 parishioners who took part in the prayer sessions and informational meetings, church officials said.
The Rev. David Boettner, vicar general for the diocese, led the healing session in Chattanooga in May. He said people reacted positively to the counseling, which included reviewing the allegations against Casey and his admissions, how to cope and a prayer session, Boettner said.
However, he noted that most victims take a long time to come forward.
"If there are victims, we pray they come forward," Boettner said.
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