Priest Takes Plea Deal of Probation Supervision in Homer Town Court

Cortland County District Attorney Patrick Perfetti has announced 37 year old Nathan Brooks, who was a priest that was assigned in Cortland County by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, has accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Misdemeanor. He was sentenced in Homer Town Court on Tuesday to a term of probation supervision.

DA Perfetti says Brooks admitted to sending inappropriate text messages in 2020 and in 2021 with a victim who was less than 17 years old. The text messages sent violated state law, but also policies by the Diocese of Syracuse on communications between employees (including clergy) and minors. 

His sentence of probation supervision on the plea was due to Brooks lack of a criminal record within the Justice System. His supervision will require counseling and a full stay away Order of Protection. Perfetti says the disposition has been fully previewed by the Cortland and Ononaga DA Offices with the victim and their family, the disposition was approved by the family.

“The plea in Homer Town Court will also conclude the charges pending in Cortland City Court….. The City matter dealt with allegations asserting conduct occurring on a church sponsored bus trip. At the time of the filing of the charges, it was thought that the trip originated in the City of Cortland; thereby establishing jurisdiction in Cortland County. However, further investigation discovered that the trip originated in DeWitt Township, Onondaga County, for the year in question. Therefore, Cortland County lacked legal authority to prosecute.”

Perfetti said in a press release.

The Syracuse Diocese also had a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with District Attorney Offices regarding cooperation with criminal investigations. DA Perfetti says Cortland County did not sign the MoU due to the lack of enforceability with the understanding and the Diocese’s late disclosure of allegations that occur, failure to confirm submission of the reported incident to local law enforcement and minimizing the conduct of the offender.