Former Jackson Catholic school teacher charged with 5 more counts of sex assault of kids

LANSING — A former teacher at a Jackson Catholic school has been charged with five additional counts of sexual assault after two more people came forward alleging abuse, according to the Michigan Attorney General's Office. 

Joseph Comperchio, 67, now has a total of 11 first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from four reports of abuse dating back to the '70s, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office said in a news release Monday. Nessel indicated Comperchio's first name may also be spelled Josef. 

Comperchio, of Fort Myers, Florida, was a drama and music teacher at St. John Catholic School in Jackson in the 1970s. 

The school is in the Diocese of Lansing and teaches kids from preschool to sixth grade.

First reports: Former teacher at Jackson Catholic school charged with '70s sex assault of 2 children

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Internal investigation: Catholic Diocese of Lansing: 17 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors

David Kerr, spokesperson for the Diocese of Lansing, said the diocese received the sexual assault report about Comperchio last year. They encouraged the victim to report to the police and they forwarded his report to the Attorney General's office and the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, he said. 

"The Diocese of Lansing, of course, abhors all sexual abuse and will continue to support all victims in reporting abuse, pursuing justice, and obtaining healing," Kerr said last month. 

Of the five new charges, all are second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Four occurred when the victims were under 13 and the fifth was when the victim was physically helpless, according to the release. The abuse reportedly occurred between 1975 and 1977. 

Comperchio's earlier charges included two counts of first-degree sexual assault and four counts of second-degree sexual assault, stemming from reports of abuse from the ages of 9 to 11 between 1974 and 1977. 

He was arrested in Fort Myers on Sept. 14 after he was first charged. He was extradited to Michigan on Oct. 1. He is scheduled Friday for a bond hearing in Jackson County and remains in custody in the county jail. 

First-degree sexual assault is punishable by up to life in prison. Second-degree carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. 

“My office stands committed to seeking justice for all of those who have been assaulted or taken advantage of and we will continue to review the circumstances in each case with careful scrutiny and file charges when the evidence demands it,” Nessel said in the news release. “I continue to be encouraged by the victims who come forward to share their experiences, which are undoubtedly difficult stories to tell and serve as a reminder to the rest of us that the pain which can be inflicted when predators prey on the vulnerable remains long after the reported incident.”  

Comperchio is the 10th person related to the Catholic church to have been criminally charged with sexually abusing children in Michigan. 

Nessel's investigation stems from millions of paper and electronic records her office seized through search warrants in October 2018. 

In September 2019, the diocese released a list of 17 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. All 17 priests are either dead, have been removed from active ministry or are defrocked.

Anyone with information on sexual assault within the Catholic Church can call 844-324-3374.

Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.