Poughkeepsie Priest Sex Abuse Case

The Reverend James Garisto’s victims served as a community faith leader from 1998 to 2014 at Our Lady of Rosary Chapel in Poughkeepsie, NY, where he used his position of power to take advantage of young victims. The first allegation of sexual abuse against Garisto was dismissed for being outside the statute of limitations. However, he was arrested by Philadelphia police on May 4, 2022 for a separate relationship with a minor occurring between 2006 – 2010. One Poughkeepsie family claims the church was aware of allegations against him and continued to fund private trips and dining with his altar boys. The family is also filing a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese of New York for knowingly allowing years of sexual abuse and repeated misconduct with their son. The Law Offices of Jared S. Zafran represents the Poughkeepsie family in this case.