ORD, NEB. – According to Valley County District Court records 63-year-old John Kakkuzhiyil, an Ord, Nebraska priest, is no longer seeking for his trial to be moved to Hall County.
The Ord priest is charged with one count of sexual assault of a woman and was scheduled for a pretrial hearing in Valley County District Court on Tuesday, April 16 at 1PM.
Kakkuzhiyil is now scheduled for a new pretrial hearing on August 20, 2019 at 10AM. Jury Trial is set to begin on September 9, 2019.
Kakkuzhiyil faces one to 50 years in prison if convicted.
BACKGROUND:
In November of 2018, Kakkuzhiyil met with a woman in his Ord home on business. The woman reported she blacked out after having drinks with him and that he assaulted her.
FEB 27, 2019
ORD, Neb. (AP) — A new trial date has been set for a Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting a woman in central Nebraska.
Valley County District Court records say without explanation that the new date is June 24 for the Rev. John Kakkuzhiyil (kah-kuh-ree-AL’). He’s pleaded not guilty to a charge of forcible sexual assault. His trial was set to begin May 6.
The woman who accused him has obtained a protection order against the cleric. She says he assaulted her in November when she went to his Ord home on business. She says she blacked out after having a couple of drinks with him.
The Grand Island Diocese says Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt placed Kakkuzhiyil on leave Dec. 15 upon learning that the Nebraska State Patrol was investigating the allegations.
JAN 9, 2019
ORD, NEB. – The first court appearance for Rev. John Kakkuzhiyil, 62, of Ord, Nebraska took place Wednesday morning in Valley County Court as Rev. John is being charged with committing sexual assault/forcible-first degree from an incident occurring on November 22, 2018 in Ord allegedly with an adult woman.
The Catholic priest’s crime is a Class 2 felony and could face 1 year in jail.
Kakkuzhiyil’s attorney Mark Porto, a Grand Island attorney, requested a preliminary hearing for the priests. Valley County Judge Kale Burdick set his bond before hand at $150,000 10% and set his preliminary hearing for January 23rd at 2:30 PM.
JAN 3, 2019
ORD, NEB. – On January 2, 2019 at approximately 4:23 pm John Kakkuzhiyil, 62, of Ord, Nebraska was booked into Valley County Jail by the Nebraska State Patrol for 1st Degree Sexual Assault.
The news of the Diocese of Grand Island was also posted on the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church’s facebook page from Bishop Hanefeldt:
Bishop Hanefeldt has learned today, January 2, 2019, that Fr. John Kakkuzhiyil, a priest of the Diocese of Grand Island, has been placed under arrest by the Nebraska State Patrol in Grand Island and charged with first-degree sexual assault of an adult.
Most recently Fr. Kakkuzhiyil served as pastor of our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ord and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burwell. On December 1, 2018, Bishop Hanefeldt offered Mass in Ord and Burwell asking the parishioners to pray for Father Kakkuzhiyil for his continuing struggles with depression and alcoholism.
On December 6, 2018 Fr. Kakkuzhiyil entered the CHI St. Francis Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program and was dismissed from there on January 2, 2019.
When Bishop Hanefeldt learned there was an ongoing investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol regarding Fr. Kakkuzhiyil, he placed Fr. Kakkuzhiyil on administrative leave December 15, 2018. Pending the outcome of the investigation and treatment, the administrative leave remains in effect.
Bishop Hanefeldt asks for your prayers for all who are involved in this matter and in the investigation.
