The case against the Rev. Francisco Xavier Ochoa of Sonoma, accused of crimes against 10 alleged victims, came to light in 2006:
April 27: Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh is advised of a "sensitive matter" involving Ochoa.
April 28: Ochoa meets with Walsh, Vicar General and Chancellor James Pulskamp and the Rev. Frank Epperson, a priest at St. Francis Solano, where Ochoa ministered to Latino parishioners. Ochoa admits to inappropriate contact with children, including promising a Sonoma boy $100 for a strip tease and kissing him on the lips and kissing a Napa altar boy and giving him money. Walsh relieves Ochoa of his functions as a priest.
April 29: Walsh consults with diocesan attorney Dan Galvin, who is asked to report the abuse allegations to authorities. Because April 29 is a Saturday, Galvin decides to submit the report two days later on Monday. Galvin said he did not know that Child Protective Services had a 24-hour hot line that he could have called during the weekend.
May 1: Diocese sends fax reporting abuse allegations to Sonoma County Child Protective Services.
May 2: Diocese faxes information to the county Sheriff's Department.
May 3: Report is sent again because the Sheriff's Department could not locate it. Detectives begin investigation, interviewing Walsh and some of the alleged victims.
May 4: Detectives go to Ochoa's apartment across the street from St. Francis Solano Church. He is gone, leaving six sets of keys on a table.
May 6: Ochoa is suspected of entering Mexico on or about this day.
May 22: The diocese announces the dismissal of Ochoa in a written statement by Walsh: "Father Ochoa came to me voluntarily to inform me of a recent incident of sexual misconduct with a minor. Consistent with diocesan policy, I have removed him from his duties as parochial vicar and have also removed his canonical faculties."
June 22: Ten felony sex abuse charges are filed against Ochoa by the Sonoma County district attorney.
June 24: Walsh issues a letter to Catholics in the Santa Rosa Diocese, saying he "acted in good faith and . . . with reasonable speed to notify authorities."
July 13: The Sonoma County district attorney says his department will review an investigative report to determine if Catholic Church officials committed a criminal act by waiting four days to alert law enforcement.
Aug. 12: Walsh issues an apology, saying, "I made an error in judgment by waiting to report Rev. Ochoa's admission."
Aug. 24: Sheriff's Department sends investigative report to prosecutors, noting there is enough evidence to seek a failure-to-report charge against Walsh.
Oct. 10: Lawsuit against the Santa Rosa Diocese is filed on behalf of nine alleged victims of Ochoa.
Nov. 20: District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announces Walsh is eligible to participate in a "pre-filing counseling diversion program in lieu of criminal charges being filed." Walsh said he will enter the five-month program, which is part of Adult Diversion Services, California Human Development Corp.
2007
May: Walsh completes the diversion program.
Aug. 27: Mediation between diocesan attorneys and attorneys for the alleged victims later results in $5,020,000 settlement.
-- Martin Espinoza
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