For Immediate Release
Aug. 13, 2021
BALTIMORE, MD – Michael Bonczewski, former employee of the Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat House located in Sparks, MD, was criminally charged for child sexual abuse and child pornography solicitation on August 3, 2021 in Carroll County. The charges are unrelated to his employment at the retreat house and relate to events that occurred from 2010 through 2012. He worked at the retreat house from November 2017 until July 2 of 2018 as a maintenance associate and was terminated for issues unrelated to child abuse or pornography. While serving in his maintenance assistant position, he had very limited interaction with minors and the Archdiocese received no reports or complaints relating to his behavior with minors.
Bonczewski also volunteered in the Creative Tech ministry at the Church of the Nativity in Timonium from January 2018 until early August 2021. The charges are unrelated to his volunteering at the Church of the Nativity and the Archdiocese received no reports or complaints relating to his behavior while serving in this volunteer position.
All Archdiocesan employees and volunteers who have substantial contact with minors are screened for criminal histories and the national sex offender registry, and go through training on how to recognize, prevent, and report child abuse. Bonczewski went through this process in 2017. He has now been restricted from employment and volunteering for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Police have asked anyone with information about potential child sexual abuse to contact Carroll County Police (through its tip line at 443-373-1684 or by emailing Detective McMillion at mmcmillion@carrollcountymd.gov) and also Baltimore County Police (by contacting Detective Kuhns at 410-853-3650). If Church personnel is suspected of committing abuse, we ask that you also call the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Office of Child and Youth Protection OCYP at 410-547-5348 or our Victims’ Assistance Line at 1-866-417-7469.
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Media Contact
Christian Kendzierski
ck@archbalt.org
410-547-5378 (office)
917-882-1358 (cell)