Profile Facts
- Name
- Robert DeLand, Jr.
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
- Ordained
- 1973
- Status
- Convicted
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
It takes courage to speak about abuse by a member of the clergy. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC offer confidential consultations to Michigan survivors who want to understand their rights and their options.
This page recounts the reported case of Father Robert DeLand, Jr., a priest of the Diocese of Saginaw who was arrested in 2018, pleaded no contest to sexual assault charges, and was sentenced to prison. The details below come from published diocesan records and the Michigan Attorney General’s Saginaw diocese report. Survivors abused by Father DeLand may still have civil claims, and White Law PLLC can evaluate them in confidence.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Saginaw
Saginaw is one of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, along with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Marquette, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Gaylord, and Kalamazoo. The Attorney General’s investigation, which began in 2018, issued a report on the Saginaw diocese describing how abuse reports were handled, including instances where complaints to the diocese drew no response. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help survivors determine whether the diocese’s conduct supports a civil claim.
DeLand was pastor of St. Agnes in Tittabawassee Township when he was arrested. According to reports, the diocese had heard rumors about him as early as 1992 and investigated a complaint in 2005 that was deemed unfounded, yet he remained in ministry for years afterward.
The Allegations Against Father Robert DeLand, Jr.
Arrest and Criminal Proceedings
Published records indicate that Robert DeLand, Jr., ordained in 1973, was arrested on February 25, 2018, on charges of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy; the boy’s parents had raised concerns with police, and DeLand was arrested after the boy went undercover. He was suspended from ministry. Nearly half a dozen more people then reported attempted and actual sexual abuse by DeLand, including rape, some incidents going back three decades and involving minors. He was arrested again in April 2018 on additional charges.
DeLand pleaded no contest in September 2018 in a plea deal, then withdrew the plea weeks later. In March 2019 he was acquitted of assaulting two teenagers, but he then entered a no-contest plea to the earlier withdrawn charges, avoiding trial. In April 2019 he was sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison. He was permanently removed from ministry, and his case was sent to the Vatican. He was released on parole in April 2021 and required to register as a sex offender. In November 2022, his laicization was announced.
Civil Lawsuits and Further Reports
Lawsuits were filed in 2018 and 2019 by teenage boys alleging sexual assault by DeLand. In February 2021, the diocese received an email from a woman who said that as a teenage volunteer in the summer of 1973 at St. Vincent’s Home in Saginaw, she witnessed predatory behavior by DeLand toward boys as young as age 5, and that she suffered retaliation after telling the nuns in charge. DeLand was included in the Michigan Attorney General’s June 2026 Diocese of Saginaw report.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Father DeLand’s case shows how criminal and civil proceedings differ. His prison sentence resulted from a criminal prosecution, in which the state had to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. But criminal punishment does not compensate survivors, and an acquittal on some counts, as occurred here, does not prevent a civil case on others.
Criminal Prosecution
In criminal court, prosecutors control the case and survivors participate as witnesses. A conviction can put an offender behind bars, but it awards nothing to the people who were harmed.
Civil Lawsuits
Civil lawsuits are filed by survivors seeking financial recovery. They proceed under a lower standard of proof and can name both the abuser and the diocese, for example where a parent reported concerns to the diocese and received no response, or where earlier complaints were dismissed without proper investigation.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 sets the general deadline for civil sexual abuse claims: ten years from the abuse or until the survivor turns 28, whichever is later. For first-degree criminal sexual conduct, Michigan law imposes no time limit.
Many survivors need years before they can report abuse. Trauma, shame, fear, and the authority that priests hold in Catholic communities can silence victims for decades. Because deadlines depend on the specific facts and dates, survivors should have an attorney assess their timeline promptly rather than assume a claim is barred.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
A civil claim may provide compensation for medical and therapy expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Survivors can bring claims against the abuser and against the diocese or institution where church leaders knew or should have known of the danger, failed to prevent the abuse, concealed misconduct, or failed to properly screen, train, and supervise priests.
White Law PLLC represents Michigan survivors of clergy sexual abuse with compassion and discretion. For a confidential consultation, call (517) 316-1195.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.