The Catholic Diocese of Owensboro has reinstated a priest who was suspended after being accused of sexually abusing a juvenile in the 1980s.
The Diocesan Review Board reviewed the complaint against the Reverend Freddie Byrd and decided there was not enough information to substantiate the allegation. Byrd was reinstated last week to active ministry at St. Ann Church in Union County after being suspended in June.
A complaint to the diocese accused Byrd of engaging in inappropriate conduct with a 17-year-old in 1983, at a time when Byrd was not yet a priest. The diocese alerted law enforcement, Kentucky State Police spokesman Corey King says authorities did not conduct an investigation.
