CINCINNATI — The trial for the Catholic priest accused of raping an altar boy in the 1980s and '90s is scheduled to begin in October.
Rev. Geoffrey D. Drew’s rape trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 13, officials said in court Monday.
Drew is accused of raping an altar boy at St. Jude School in Green Township in the late '80s and early '90s, according to Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters.
Drew is charged with nine counts of rapein connection to incidents, which occurred between 1988 and 1991, when he was employed as a music minister, Deters said. Drew was not a priest at the time; he was ordained in 2004.
Drew’s accuser came forward in August after officials placed Drew on leave because he had been accused of sending inappropriate text messages to at least one boy.
Three days after Drew's accuser spoke to police, Green Township officers executed a series of search warrants on church property and at Drew's rental storage unit.
Drew had been the pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola for about a year.
Officials with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati say they made "serious mistakes" in responding to parishioners’ concerns about Drew’s behavior dating back at least six years.
Parishioners of St. Maximilian Kolbe, where Drew was pastor from July 2009 to June 2018, expressed concerns to the central office of the archdiocese in 2013 and again in 2015, according to a news release from the archdiocese.
Drew is being held in the Hamilton County Justice Center on a $5 million bond.
Drew's complete career history is as follows, per the archdiocese. Some assignments overlap.
- Music teacher at Elder High School — 1983-1990
- Music minister at St. Jude Parish — 1984-1999
- Mount St. Mary's Seminar of the West — 1999-2004
- Internship year at St. Anthony Madisonville — 2001-2002
- Ordained a priest of the archdiocese — 2004
- Parochial vicar at St. Luke Beavercreek — July 1, 2004-June 30, 2005
- Pastor of St. Rita Dayton — July 1, 2005-June 30, 2009
- Pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe — July 1, 2009-June 30, 2018
- Pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola — July 1, 2018-July 23, 2019
If you or someone you know has any information about Drew, you should contact Cincinnati Police Officer Dana Jones at 513-352-6947.
