Catholic priest in KCK ordered to trial in indecent liberties with child case

A 13-year-old girl testified Friday that twice when she was 10, a Kansas City, Kan., Catholic priest tickled her breasts against her wishes.

A Wyandotte County District Court judge ruled the testimony at the preliminary hearing was sufficient to proceed toward a trial of the Rev. Scott Kallal, 36, who is charged with two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

The incidents allegedly occurred in 2015 but the police report was not filed until July, when Kallal was suspended and charged.

The girl told a forensic interviewer at Sunflower House that Kallal tickled her, over her clothes, on her breasts and vagina areas. On the stand Friday, however, she said only that he tickled her breasts.

The first alleged incident was at a friend’s graduation party in Bonner Springs in spring 2015. The girl said she and other girls were outside playing soccer when Kallal tickled her inappropriately.

The second alleged incident took place a few months later at the parish hall gymnasium at St. Patrick’s church in Kansas City, Kan. The girl testified that Kallal approached her in the gym and tickled her on the breasts. She said she got free and ran out of the gym and into the girl’s restroom where she entered the stall and locked it. She said Kallal entered the stall, picked her up and carried her out still tickling her. The girl said her mother was in the hallway and told Kallal to “get off” her daughter.

Asked how Kallal had entered a locked stall, the girl said the locks did not always work.

The girl said she told her mother about the inappropriate tickling in both cases. There was no testimony about why authorities were not notified until this summer.

Kallal was suspended by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The church issued a statement that said Kallal “denies any moral misconduct or malicious intent and has agreed to undergo evaluation and counseling.”

One side of the courtroom Friday was filled with church supporters of Kallal. On the other side were the girl’s parents and several members of Bikers Against Child Abuse.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Catholic priest in KCK ordered to trial in indecent liberties with child case."