By Jim Hannah and Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

BURLINGTON - The priest at Frankfort's only Catholic parish may be placed on leave of absence today after allegations surfaced in court papers that he sexually assaulted and stalked a girl more than 20 years ago.

Sacramental Minister Stephen Gallenstein has worked at six churches in central and eastern Kentucky since 1982. An unidentified woman said he sexually and psychologically abused her for four years starting when she was 13. He then stalked her for 10 years, she claimed.

"This is the first hint of a credible allegation the Diocese of Lexington has received against this priest," Lexington Diocese spokesman Tom Shaughnessy said Thursday. "He (Gallenstein) will in all likelihood be placed on a leave of absence while we further investigate this allegation."

Shaughnessy said the diocese was unaware of the priest's history of alleged sexual misconduct until informed by an Enquirer reporter Thursday.

Gallenstein did not return phone calls to his home and church office Thursday night.

The information about Gallenstein became public Wednesday when a legal brief outlining examples of alleged abuse by priests and cover-ups by church officials in the Covington Diocese since 1953 was filed in Boone Circuit Court. The brief was compiled after a Boone County judge ordered the Covington archives released to lawyers representing victims of the alleged abuse in Northern Kentucky.

Attorneys had sought complaints of sexual abuse by priests and the diocesan response as part of a potential class-action lawsuit.

The Lexington Diocese's long-standing policy on sexual abuse claims calls for a priest to immediately be placed on leave. Shaughnessy said an action had not taken place Thursday evening because Bishop Ronald W. Gainer was in Rome for an orientation for new bishops and could not be reached.

E-mail jhannah@enquirer.com and cschroeder@enquirer.com