A former Michigan priest accused of abusing a 5-year-old boy after officiating a family funeral service in 1987 had pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted criminal sexual conduct, state officials said Tuesday. The accusation against Vincent DeLorenzo, 84, was one of eight complaints against him, and stemmed from a case brought in 2018 to the Diocese of Lansing, where he served from 1965 to 2002. He pleaded to a lesser charge in a settlement with the state that saw prosecutors throw out a separate case of sexual assault against another 5-year-old boy between 1995 and 2000. DeLorenzo is expected to serve five years of probation, and will be forced to register as a sex offender. “Our team continues to work day and night to bring an end to an era of abuse that has hidden in plain sight for far too long and provide justice to those who have suffered years of unimaginable trauma,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement Tuesday. “This guilty plea will hopefully close this painful chapter and open the opportunity for much-needed healing for those victimized by DeLorenzo.”
