A Catholic priest serving in the Birmingham diocese is facing scrutiny after a woman came forward with allegations that he offered her money in exchange for sexual companionship beginning when she was a teenager.

Church officials confirmed that Rev. Robert Sullivan, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood, has taken “personal leave” while the matter is under investigation.

The woman, Heather Jones, 33, told diocesan leaders and The Guardian that Sullivan began giving her financial assistance when she was 17, while also pressuring her into sexual encounters. She further alleged that in recent years the priest paid her hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to keep the relationship secret — claims she says are backed by bank records, an email exchange, and a legal agreement.

Law enforcement investigators have been reluctant to act in some cases of religious clergy accused of having sexual contact with teens who had reached the legal age of consent, which in Alabama is 16. Furthermore, Alabama is not among the US states with laws that say it is impossible for there to be consensual sexual relationships between clergy and legal adults who are under the clerics’ spiritual guidance.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/13/alabama-priest-robert-sullivan

The Birmingham diocese has not released additional details, but confirmed that Sullivan’s leave from ministry is effective immediately as the allegations are reviewed.