Alabama priest accused of having a sexual relationship with teen stripper, paying her thousands in hush money

NY Post ^ | 08/14/2025 | Patrick Reilly

[DFG]

A Catholic priest is under investigation for allegedly starting a years-long relationship with a 17-year-old stripper — and paying her hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep quiet about it.

Robert Sullivan, 61, is on leave as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Homewood, Alabama, after he was publicly accused of initiating a relationship with Heather Jones, now 33, when she was a vulnerable teenager in 2009.

Jones said in a letter to the Diocese of Birmingham — and shared with the Guardian — that she first met Sullivan while she was dancing at a strip club he frequented.

While tipping her, he offered her $273,000 to sign a non-disclosure agreement in exchange for “an ongoing relationship that would include financial support in exchange for private companionship,” Jones alleged, telling the Guardian that the agreement included sex.

Jones, who was raised in foster care due to her mother’s “severe neglect,” said she “was hesitant but ultimately agreed due to his persistence and the state [of mind] I was in,” according to her letter to the diocese.

Days later, she received two wire transfers of $136,500 each under the name of an attorney’s office, she alleged.

Sullivan, initially posing as a doctor, took her out to shop, eat, drink and stay at hotels in at least six different Alabama cities over the course of the relationship, which lasted until this year, she alleged.

[AndyJackson]

Our diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator has continued to be in contact with the woman who brought forth the allegations and has provided appropriate support.”

Words fail me.

[AndyJackson]

To be clear I was a submariner in my youth. I have plenty of words. Age and experience have taught me not to use them without thinking first.

[kawhill]

And I’m supposed to confess my sins to that?

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

The age of consent in Alabama is 16, so I don’t think there was anything illegal. I wouldn’t put him in the pedophile category. If he wasn’t a priest, this wouldn’t be a notable story at all.

[Bikkuri]

Maybe they too got tired of all of the push for queers...

[Bikkuri]

That one has a wedding ring on.

[Mr.Unique]

They have a second collection each week to pay the hush money. /s kinda

That’s basically what they were doing in my (former) diocese. I found that out just after they sent the Aux Bishop over to tell us that some of us voted wrong Sunday before the inauguration. I canx’d my monthly allotment and haven’t been back.

[EvelynMcHale]

You aren’t wrong!

[higgmeister]

Vitalis Hair Tonic

[Songcraft]

[Bigg Red]

Yeah, interesting that it took her 16 years to worry about those children.

[Bigg Red]

Ditto

[higgmeister]

Years long and she is now 17? Well, that makes him a pedo, so this will be covered up by the Church. He will go into “counseling” for a year or so and then re-assigned to another parish instead of being excommunicated for having violated his oath of celibacy to his Gawd.

You have it mixed up.   He first met her in the strip bar when she was a 17 year old stripper.   She is now 33.   The overwhelming odds are the woman isn't even Roman Catholic.

[Albion Wilde]

Matthew 23:9
1 Timothy 2:5

[cmj328]

I know that sounds funny but as abominably Hellacious this priest’s very deliberate mortal sins are, the one you joke about - absolving an accomplice - would be worse. There’s no evidence he did that, just as there’s no evidence he murdered anyone for the money or to cover it up or done any number of other things that would make this abomination worse than it actually is.

[Flaming Conservative]

Time to hang up your collar, padre, and get a job at Home Depot. (but good for you it was a girl, and not a boy).