A lay official with the Diocese of Oakland has been arrested on suspicion of possessing and sharing child pornography, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has confirmed via local law enforcement.
Jeremiah York, 24, worked as the Director of Liturgical Ministries and the Executive Assistant to the Rector at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, which is also known as the Oakland Cathedral.
Walnut Creek police told NBC Bay Area that they arrested York, a Walnut Creek resident, on Jan. 6.
The case remains under investigation and has not yet been referred to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, according to a police spokesperson.
NBC Bay Area could not reach York for comment.
The Diocese of Oakland has not publicly announced the arrest, and York’s photo and employment information remained on the Cathedral’s website until Friday. It was then taken down shortly after NBC Bay Area’s inquiry about the arrest.
Helen Osman, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Oakland, said in an email that York is no longer employed by the Cathedral and has not worked there since the first week of January.
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“In reviewing this situation, we have not discovered any potential criminal conduct by Jeremiah York in the course of his employment, or occurring on Cathedral property, utilizing its property, or involving parishioners, including minors,” Osman wrote. “No arrests have occurred on Cathedral property, and the Diocese of Oakland, which oversees the Cathedral, has cooperated with law enforcement.”
Tim Stier, a former priest with the Diocese of Oakland, said he was originally tipped off about the arrest in February by a contact within the Diocese. Stier, a longtime critic of how the Catholic Church has handled its ongoing sex abuse scandal, passed along the tip to NBC Bay Area, which confirmed the arrest late last week.
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“I was just appalled and astounded by that,” Stier said. “My source didn’t want to be named, but [they] gave me permission to pursue this.”
According to Osman, York oversaw the planning and preparation of liturgies at the Cathedral and helped coordinate events such as weddings and funerals. York also worked alongside altar servers, which Osman said are almost exclusively adults at this time.
Stier said some liturgies, such as baptisms and communions, involve children, and that the Diocese has a duty to be transparent with parishioners about York’s arrest.
“The responsibility of the Diocese goes beyond just firing him,” Stier said. “Were there announcements to all that masses? Were all the parents of children in the Cathedral notified of this? I would be very surprised if they were.”
NBC Bay Area asked the Diocese if it has notified anyone of York’s arrest, but officials did not respond to the question.
