Catholic Deacon Arrested for Sexual Solicitation of a Child; the Abuse Survivors Coalition Reacts

For Immediate Release: August 6, 2026

A deacon in the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, Kenneth Goedeke, has been charged with sexual solicitation of a child. The Abuse Survivors Coalition (ASC) wanted to express sincere gratitude to the Hartford County Sheriff’s Office for the sting operation that led to Deacon Goedeke’s arrest, and to Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler in particular for releasing a statement that unequivocally supports survivors. David Lorenz, a MD contact for the ASC said, “Too often officials minimize or ignore the damage done by those who prey on children, Sheriff Gahler did not.”

The group also expressed concern that there may be other victims, particularly since the deacon was suddenly terminated from John Carroll High School several months ago. The ASC asked that the Archdiocese of Baltimore provide an explanation for this dismissal, which it did not do in its statement.

Deacon Goedeke was ordained 3 years ago. He worked at St. Patrick Havre de Grace and St. Joan of Arc in Aberdeen before being assigned to St. Margaret Church in Bel Air in 2025. The deacon also worked at St. Isaac Jogues Church from 2005 to 2012 and John Carroll High School from 2020 to 2026.

David added, “I want to encourage any victims of Deacon Goedeke to come forward. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office tip line at cactips@harfordsheriff.org.”

The ASC Contact in Maryland concluded by reminding people sexually abused in the Archdiocese of Baltimore or elsewhere that they do not need to suffer alone and in silence. “There is hope and healing available to survivors through any number of organizations, including the ASC. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of the other ASC Contacts.”

CONTACT: David Lorenz, ASC Operations Team, ASC MD Contact (glydonct@gmail.com, 301-906-9161), Melanie Sakoda, ASC Media Statement Working Group, ASC CA Contact (melanie.sakoda@gmail.com, 925-708-6175)

(The Abuse Survivors Coalition is a survivor-led, peer-run organization dedicated to supporting individuals affected by abuse and advocating for accountability within institutions where abuse has occurred. ASC is informed by decades of collective experience in survivor support, advocacy, and public education. The organization focuses on facilitating peer support, sharing information about available survivor resources, and engaging in advocacy efforts centered on survivor-led principles. Survivors remain the central priority of the ASC’s work. Our website is: www.ascoalition.org)