A notorious pedophile priest arrested on charges of hitting and killing a man while driving drunk made his first court appearance Thursday.
Wearing a green jail jumpsuit, 75-year-old Stephen Kiesle showed no emotion as he appeared in court for the first time since investigators say he fatally struck his Rossmoor neighbor Curtis Gunn while driving drunk in Walnut Creek Saturday night.
Gunn was walking on the sidewalk with his wife when he was hit from behind.
“They were simply walking down the street one evening when they were struck by a car,” said Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton.
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But the Gunns are just Kiesle’s latest victims. The defrocked Catholic priest and registered sex offender is accused of molesting dozens of children while working at the Oakland Diocese.
“Had the church done what they should’ve done in 1978 he would’ve been convicted of multiple felonies of child sexual assault and probably spent the rest of his life in prison,” said Rick Simmons.
He is the attorney representing 15 alleged victims who are suing the Bishop of Oakland for failing to protect them. Simmons showed up in court in support for Gunn’s widow.
“Now he’s accused of killing somebody. I’m sure that he will as always does and as the psychology of a serial pedophile does, will have no empathy for them and will only think about poor Stephen Kiesle,” said Simmons.
“He would have us follow him in the confessionals,” said molestation victim Kathleen Stonebraker. “And as he would open the door and shut the door, he would come up from behind.”
She said she was just 11 when Kiesle started raping her at St Joseph’s in Pinole. She’s enraged at what he’s now accused of.
“We’ve tried for so long to get him put away really truthfully,” said Stonebraker.
Kiesle’s arraignment was postponed until next week but the judge ordered him not to drive, drink or go near Gunn’s widow if he posts bail.
“He should never be free to walk the streets or drive them again,” said Simmons. “He’s a threat still today not only to children, but to everybody in the community.
Kiesle’s defense attorney declined to comment on camera Thursday. He said he hasn’t had a chance to learn all the details of the case.
He did however ask the judge to lower Kiesle’s $600,000 bail, which she refused to do.
