Former New Orleans Priest Pleads Guilty in Decades-Old Sexual Assault Case
New Orleans, Louisiana — A disgraced 93-year-old former priest has admitted guilt in a New Orleans courtroom, ending a decades-long quest for justice. Lawrence Hecker, who left the ministry in 2002, pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from the sexual assault of a teenage boy in 1975.
Hecker’s frail figure, shrouded in the weight of his past, was a stark image as he was escorted into Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Nandi Campbell’s courtroom. His eyes remained fixed on the ground, shrouded in a silence that spoke volumes about the gravity of the accusations against him.
The plea came just moments before jury selection was scheduled to begin. Hecker admitted to aggravated kidnapping, aggravated crime against nature, first-degree rape, and theft, facing a potential life sentence. Sentencing has been set for December 18th.
"It is our hope and prayer that today’s court proceedings bring healing and peace to the survivor and all survivors of sexual abuse," the Archdiocese of New Orleans said in a statement. "We continue to hold all survivors in prayer.”
Hecker’s case was riddled with challenges, including concerns about his mental competency due to diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
His attorney, Bobby Hjortsberg, maintained that despite these conditions, Hecker was deemed capable of understanding the charges against him. "A doctor confirmed that Hecker has Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but Hecker was found competent to stand trial," Hjortsberg said, according to WDSU-TV.
The indictment followed a lengthy investigation that revealed Hecker had confessed to molesting multiple minors during his time with the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
The case against Hecker arrived amidst a broader battle over the Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse claims. A trove of confidential church records, shielded by a sweeping confidentiality order after the archdiocese sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020, became the center of contention.
These records allegedly disclose years of abuse allegations against clergy, interviews with accused priests, and a pattern of church leaders transferring problem priests without involving law enforcement.
The alleged survivor in the criminal case against Hecker is among the more than 600 individuals who have filed abuse claims against the archdiocese in its ongoing bankruptcy case.
This trial, while focused on one horrifying incident from 1975, sheds light on a much broader and disturbing pattern of abuse within the Catholic Church, prompting difficult questions about accountability, transparency, and the long journey towards healing for survivors.
WDSU-TV reported. A grand jury indicted Hecker last year following an investigation that revealed he had confessed to molesting multiple juveniles over his decades of service with the Archdiocese of New Orleans. But, the charges brought against him stem from a single alleged incident that happened between 1975 and 1976, prosecutors have said. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020 following a flood of abuse claims. The records are said to chronicle years of such claims, interviews with accused clergy and a pattern of church leaders transferring problem priests without reporting their crimes to law enforcement.
