Key Takeaways
- Father Michael V. LaMountain pleaded guilty in 1999 to nine felony counts involving the sexual assaults of five boys during his ministry in the Diocese of Providence.
- According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, there were concerns involving LaMountain years before he was suspended in 1995.
- LaMountain was suspended in 1995, was laicized in 2005, and is included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
Who Was Father Michael V. LaMountain?
Father Michael V. LaMountain was a priest of the Diocese of Providence and, according to the AG’s Report, “one of the most infamous child molesters in Rhode Island history.”
Born on March 5, 1949, LaMountain attended seminary in Baltimore before being ordained on May 31, 1975 for the Diocese of Rhode Island. During his priesthood, LaMountain served at St. Catherine Church and St. Kevin Church in Warwick, St. Joseph Church in Woonsocket, and St. John the Baptist Church in West Warwick, where he was serving as pastor when he was suspended in 1995.
In January 1999, he pleaded guilty to nine felony counts involving the sexual assault of five boys between the 1970s and 1990s. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, LaMountain was accused of sexually abusing a total of at least 12 boys and young men during his ministry, “although the actual number is unknown.”
LaMountain was laicized on February 11, 2005, and died on August 25, 2010. He is included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, and the Maryland Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Baltimore.
Assignment History
According to the AG’s Report, the following list details LaMountain’s assignment history:
- 1975–1976: St. Catherine Church, Warwick
- 1976–1983: St. Kevin Church, Warwick
- 1983–1987: St. Joseph Church, Woonsocket
- 1987–1995: St. John the Baptist Church, West Warwick
- March 1995: Suspended from ministry
- February 11, 2005: Laicized
Allegations Against Father Michael V. LaMountain
According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, concerns about LaMountain’s interactions with children dated back to 1976, when one of his supervisors expressed concern about his “‘relationship with youths.’”
The Report also states that LaMountain wrote apology letters to some of his victims in 1984, telling them he was receiving professional help.
By 1989, the Diocese had received documented allegations that LaMountain had gone skinny dipping with and touched the genitals of a teenage boy. That same year, LaMountain underwent an evaluation at “The Sexual Disorders Clinic” at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where evaluators recommended that he “‘avoid unsupervised contact with adolescent males.””
According to the Attorney General’s Report, “There is no indication in the records provided by the Diocese to this Office that the Diocese took any further action in response to these allegations, including imposing any formal restrictions on Father LaMountain’s duties as a priest.”
Additional allegations were reported in 1991 and 1993, yet LaMountain remained in active ministry.
In March 1995, Bishop Louis Gelineau met with one of two survivors who had separately reported allegations of sexual abuse involving LaMountain. After learning that multiple allegations had been made and that the Rhode Island State Police were involved, Gelineau placed LaMountain “on leave from his assignment as pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in West Warwick and suspended his faculties pending a diocesan investigation.” (Appendix A)
Criminal and Civil Cases
In 1997, a grand jury indicted LaMountain on charges involving the sexual abuse of five boys, as young as 10 years old, between the 1970s and early 1990s. On January 29, 1999, LaMountain pleaded guilty to nine felony counts. “LaMountain was sentenced to a 12-year-suspended sentence with probation on each 180 of the nine counts, to run concurrently; he was also required to register as a sex offender, undergo counseling, and write apology letters to his victims.” (Appendix A)
According to the Attorney General’s Report, the Diocese also continued to financially support LaMountain for more than six years after his 1999 criminal conviction by providing him with a living stipend and benefits through its Clergy Special Assignment Fund.
At least two civil lawsuits were filed in 1995 in relation to the abuse and were later resolved as part of the Diocese of Providence’s $13.5 million mass settlement involving 36 survivors of clergy sexual abuse in 2002.
The Attorney General’s Report also documents additional allegations reported after LaMountain’s conviction, including allegations made shortly before his death in 2010 and another reported in 2015.
The Rhode Island Attorney General devoted one of the most extensive sections of its Report to Father Michael V. LaMountain, documenting decades of allegations, diocesan records, criminal proceedings, evaluations, and the Diocese’s handling of the case.
Readers seeking additional information regarding Father Michael V. LaMountain should review Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence, the Maryland Attorney General’s 2023 Report, and the sources compiled by BishopAccountability.
Were You Harmed by Father Michael “Mike” LaMountain?
Although Father Michael “Mike” LaMountain died in 2010, survivors may still have civil legal options against the institutions responsible for overseeing his ministry.
Rhode Island’s child sexual abuse revival window has created an opportunity for survivors to pursue civil claims that may have previously been barred by the statute of limitations.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors of clergy sexual abuse across the nation. Our team takes a trauma-informed approach to every case, ensuring survivors are heard, supported, and empowered throughout the legal process.
If you were abused by Father Michael “Mike” LaMountain or another member of the clergy, we encourage you to contact us today to learn about your legal options.
Every consultation is free and completely confidential.
📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law
Image sources: Father Michael “Mike” LaMountain, courtesy of Bishop Accountability. St. Joseph Church, Woonsocket, RI, via Facebook.
