Profile Facts
- Name
- Gary D. Berthiaume
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Ordained
- 1968
- Status
- Convicted
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Few priests illustrate the church’s transfer-and-conceal pattern like Father Gary D. Berthiaume: convicted in 1978 of abusing two Detroit boys, he was then assigned to parishes in Cleveland and Joliet, where more allegations followed. Decades later, he pleaded guilty again and was sentenced to 20 months to 15 years in prison. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC lay out his documented history below.
His convictions are court-established facts. Survivors abused by Berthiaume in Michigan, including those whose cases led to the 2021 charges, may pursue civil claims against the dioceses that kept moving him.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, and Saginaw, were all investigated by the Attorney General beginning in 2018. Berthiaume appears on Detroit’s list of credibly accused priests from June 10, 2019. White Law PLLC represents survivors statewide as a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer.
When a convicted priest is reassigned to new parishes in new states, every receiving diocese inherits the risk. Civil cases can follow that chain of transfers and name each institution that failed to stop him.
The Allegations Against Father Gary D. Berthiaume
Where He Served
Berthiaume was ordained in 1968 and first served in Michigan parishes, including in Detroit and Farmington. After his 1978 conviction and six months in jail, he was assigned to a Cleveland diocese parish; after allegations there, he was sent to treatment in Maryland and then to the Joliet diocese in 1988, where he worked as a hospital chaplain until 2002. Laicization was announced in November 2007.
What Was Established
Published records indicate that Berthiaume was convicted in 1978 of abusing two boys in Detroit. A Detroit victim filed a civil suit in 1983; another lawsuit in 1999 claimed abuse in the 1980s. He appears on the Detroit archdiocese’s credibly-accused list (June 10, 2019) and Cleveland’s list (June 21, 2019). He was arrested in Illinois in September 2020 on charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in 1977 at his Farmington, Michigan parish; Michigan filed charges in two more 1970s cases in June 2021. He pleaded guilty in November 2021, admitted in court to sexually abusing young boys, changed his plea to no contest in January 2022, and was sentenced to 20 months to 15 years in prison. The Illinois Attorney General’s May 23, 2023 report notes four reported survivors. These convictions are established facts.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal Cases
Prosecutors convicted Berthiaume twice, in 1978 and again in 2021–2022, resulting in jail and prison sentences. Criminal punishment, however, does not compensate survivors.
Civil Lawsuits
Civil suits seek money damages for the survivor’s injuries: treatment costs, lost earnings, pain and suffering. Multiple dioceses that transferred Berthiaume after knowing of his history may each face liability, and his courtroom admissions strengthen those claims considerably.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 allows civil sexual abuse lawsuits within ten years or until the victim turns 28, whichever is later. There is no time limit for first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan.
Given the decades spanned by Berthiaume’s abuse, survivors should have an attorney map their timeline promptly, the recent Michigan charges show that even 1970s abuse can still produce legal consequences.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Dioceses that reassign a known abuser instead of removing him may be liable for every subsequent victim. Survivors can recover damages for medical and therapy expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress, and discovery can reveal what church officials documented about Berthiaume at each transfer.
Contact White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 or . Free, confidential consultations; no fee unless we win your case.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.