Retired priest charged with sex assault of minor while he was a pastor in Fort Atkinson

A retired Catholic priest has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor while he was a pastor in Fort Atkinson.

Father William A. Nolan, 64, was charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault of a minor under the age of 16, according to state court records and a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Jefferson County Circuit Court.

The victim, a boy who was between the ages of 13 and 16 when the assaults detailed in the complaint occurred, was an altar boy at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fort Atkinson and a student at the parish school when they began, according to the complaint.

Nolan was a pastor at the church from 2002 to until he retired in 2007, according to a statement from the Diocese of Madison.

The victim said the assaults began after he disclosed to Nolan that he was gay and that they engaged in sexual activity at least 100 times between 2006 and 2010.

He said he felt guilty after the relationship ended, and that he told police about it in April after wondering if there were other victims, according to the complaint.

Although Nolan does not hold any ecclesiastical office or function, the diocese placed him on "administrative leave," which includes an exclusion from ministry while the case is active.

The diocese said it was unaware of the allegations and told Fort Atkinson police it will fully cooperate in the investigation. The diocese also has begun its own investigation.

Before his assignment in Fort Atkinson, Nolan had served at parishes in Cambridge, Janesville, Watertown and Madison, the diocese said.

Journal Sentinel reporter Jesse Garza contributed to this report.