Alleged horny holy roller probed for sex affair, payouts to teenage stripper

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A Catholic priest is being probed for his alleged longtime sexual affair with a 17-year-old stripper, and boffo payoffs she claims he paid to buy her silence.

The Guardian reports that Robert Sullivan, 61, is now on leave as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Homewood, Alabama. Former teen stripper Heather Jones, 33, has publicly accused Sullivan of grooming her when she was a vulnerable youngster.

She says the trysts began in 2009.

In a letter to the Diocese of Birmingham, Jones claims she first met Sullivan while she was stripping at a club where he was a regular.

Jones said the holy man made her an offer that constituted a mortal sin and tore holes in the Ten Commandments. According to the former peeler, Sullivan offered her a whopping $273,000 to ink a non-disclosure deal in exchange for “an ongoing relationship that would include financial support in exchange for private companionship.”

Jones told The Guardian that the deal included sex.

Raised in a foster home as a result of her mother’s “severe neglect,” Jones said she was initially hesitant. She “ultimately agreed” due to the priest’s persistence and “the state (of mind) I was in.”

Once the priest and the pole dancer agreed to the deal, Jones alleged she received two wire transfers of $136,500, each under the name of an attorney’s office.

Jones told The Guardian that when the couple hit the town for shopping, dinner, drinks, and stays at hotels, he posed as a doctor. The relationship only ended earlier this year. In addition, Sullivan bought her a phone and paid for her stint in rehab, a result of depression and addiction.

She added that so far this year, she had been paid nearly $120,000.

The onetime stripper says she went public because of Sullivan’s work with children and families.

“Others may be vulnerable to the same type of manipulation and exploitation,” Jones said.

Sullivan was ordained a priest in 1993 and was previously president of John Carroll High School for six years, according to Al.com. He announced Aug. 2 that he was taking a personal leave.

So far, the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham appears to be warily backing the alleged rogue priest, claiming there isn’t enough evidence to warrant a criminal investigation. But Sullivan may have to answer to the heavy hitters in the Vatican.

“While the Alabama Department of Human Resources determined that the allegations did not match the requirements for opening an investigation, a diocese investigation was initiated, again, according to Church law and our diocesan policies and guidelines,” Bishop Steven Raica wrote.

“Our diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator has continued to be in contact with the woman who brought forth the allegations and has provided appropriate support.”

bhunter@postmedia.com