• Recognize Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse (ACSA) as a form of abuse of power

• Add clergy to the list of professionals prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with those they serve

• Ensure survivors have a legal path to pursue justice—not just accountability in the court of public opinion

• Acknowledge that spiritual authority can be weaponized to exploit vulnerable adults—just as psychological, medical, or legal authority can be.

We are building a coalition of survivors, advocates, and policymakers to draft and support legislation that holds clergy accountable for sexual misconduct. Our goal is to amend state law to include clergy among professionals—such as doctors, therapists, and attorneys—who are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with those they serve.

We seek to formally recognize Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse (ACSA) as an abuse of power, ensuring survivors have a legal path to pursue justice. This effort acknowledges that spiritual authority, like psychological or medical authority, can be exploited to manipulate and harm vulnerable adults.

Click here for a complete list of State Statutes.

Arkansas (AR)

Connecticut (CT)

District of Columbia (DC)

Delaware (DE)

Iowa (IA)

Maine (ME)

Massachusetts (MA)

Minnesota (MN)

New Mexico (NM)

North Dakota (ND)

South Dakota (SD)

Tennessee (TN)

Texas (TX)

Utah (UT)

Wisconsin (WI)

Clergy sexual abuse of adults is not explicitly criminalized under Georgia law. While sexual assault and exploitation are illegal in many contexts, current statutes do not recognize the unique power dynamics between clergy and congregants.

• Clergy hold positions of significant power, influence, and spiritual authority.

• Victims often remain silent due to fear, shame, or confusion about whether what happened to them was even illegal.

• Survivors are frequently told: “But you were an adult.”
  Yet the abuse of trust, position, and spiritual influence is no less manipulative or harmful.