KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has picked a leader for a new child protection department created in response to concerns about church leaders' handling of abuse claims.
She is Carrie Cooper, who previously worked for American Century Investments, leading a team of financial advisers.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/vz79Nz) reported that her duties will include investigating and reporting to authorities any allegations of suspicious or inappropriate behavior or sexual misconduct.
The creation of the new department was announced in early November. That's when Bishop Robert Finn accepted a Clay County diversion deal that allowed him to dodge more charges for his handling of a priest accused of taking pornographic pictures of children. He previously pleaded not guilty to a Jackson County charge of failing to report child abuse suspicions.
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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com