Fr. Robert Nikliborc – Diocese of San Diego

| Sep 29, 2020 | Abuser Profiles, Catholic Church

Father Robert Nikliborc

Diocese of San Diego

Ordained: 1955

Died: 2006

Assigned as Follows:

  • 1956:                Sick Leave
  • 1957:               St. Boniface School (Banning, CA)
  • 1958-1969:      Boys Town of the Desert, Inc. (Banning, CA)
  • 1970:                Unknown
  • 1971:                St. John (Encinitas, CA)
  • 1972-2001:      St. Anne (San Diego, CA

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Robert Nikliborc:

Father Robert Daniel Nikliborc was ordained a priest in 1955, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of San Diego. According to media reports, in 1956, he was sent to a treatment center, Via Coeli Monastery in Jemez Springs, after the Diocese of San Diego received complaints that he was sexually abusing children.

In 1968, Father Nikliborc was convicted of tax evasion and spent 97 days in jail. He was also charged with failing to declare personal income of nearly $120,000 over a three-year period. According to court records, while Father Nikliborc was running Boys Town of the Desert Orphanage, he was also living in Palm Springs, going by the name of “Robert Drew Rand” or “Bob Rand,” and running Robert Rand Enterprises.

At various times, the orphanage was known as “Basil Brewer’s Boys’ Town of the Desert” or “St. Boniface Boys’ Town of the Desert.” Father Nikliborc was placed on probation from ministry for one year. In 1971, he was reassigned to St. Anne’s Church, which was considered to be the poorest parish in the Diocese of San Diego. He remained there until he retired in 2001.

In December 2003, Father Nikliborc was named in a civil lawsuit alleging child sexual abuse from 1963 to 1965 at Boys Town of the Desert. Two years later in a 2005 lawsuit, he was accused of sexually abusing an 11-year old boy at the same orphanage.

He died in March 2006.

The boys’ suits were included with the 144 plaintiffs who settled with the Diocese of San Diego in 2007 for nearly $200 million.

In March 2007, Father Nikliborc’s name was included in the Diocese of San Diego’s list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors.

In October 2010, as part of a settlement with survivors of clergy sexual abuse, the Diocese of San Diego released his personnel file. In a 1956 letter written to Father Nikliborc while on a “special retreat,” Bishop Buddy referred to his serious offense of two incidents without describing them, and said Father Nikliborc must decide whether to stand with God or against him.

“The fact is that your defects on both occasions were reported by lay people, who gave absolute proof which you could not gloss over or deny,” Bishop Buddy wrote.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of San Diego in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of San Diego now have legal options due to a temporary change in the law, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us.  Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help.

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