Click here to read: “Lehigh Co. Priest Arrested On Child Pornography,” 6ABC.com, September 13, 2016
Editor’s note: This continues to be a present-day problem for the Church. Porn is not victimless. It involves real children and real abuse. Also, statistics prove that child porn often leads to child sex abuse. Please note that creeps don’t “retire” from their child porn or abuse habits.
When will there come a day when we hear of no more incidents like this?
Sadly I don’t think it will be before judgment day.
“Some parents want the Church hierarchy to investigate to make sure there had been no inappropriate contact between the defendant and kids.”
Investigations of the type mentioned above are not the purview of the “Church hierarchy” any more than they are the purview of the board of directors of the Boy Scouts of America or Penn State University. We’ve seen what kind of help those three have been in the recent past.
Criminal specialists, preferably on the federal level, should be doing the investigating.
Nancy that’s an easy answer..never. If you notice many of the priests who have been arrested in recent years are older..they were admitted to the seminary back when it was an open door policy and no questions asked, so there are still disturbed men left in the priesthood.
I want to know if this creep has been sent to a “catholic treatment facility” to undergo the forensic psych eval his attorney is ordering..are the parishioners of the Diocese now footing the bill for this?
Kathy, Perhaps Abp. Chaput would be gracious enough to answer your questions but I wouldn’t suggest you hold your breath.
Well if he is sent to our very own Vianney Center then the Allentown Diocese pays the $$$ and the Philly Archdiocese profits. Either way you are correct there would be no answer 🙂
Kathy and Sister: I read in an article in Bucks Co. Courier today, that this pastor has now been removed from priestly duties, but guess what? He’s now living in a home for retired priests!! There’s your answer for the moment.
The article shows the stark difference in the levels of enlightenment among the laity. The friend and parishioner who agreed to update the priest’s computer wisely alerted authorities to the pornography found in the priest’s files. Then, there are the naive parishioners who want the hierarchy to conduct an investigation into one of its own.
It shows how the people in the pews continue to be divided in terms of enlightened responses when “Faaather” threatens the well being of children.
We’re only half way there…
Joy D, Yes I read this article also http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/former-reading-area-priest-charged-with-possession-of-child-pornography. At some point most of these guys end up spending some time in a “treatment center” I wonder if he has been at one during the investigation or will be in the near future.
They are saying that it is a sickness and a sin, but the hierarchy defend them!!!!! Very wrong because they are criminals.
From what I gather, the individual who found the porn alerted the diocese officials and these officials contacted the district attorney. So, things went somewhat right. The trusting soul who alerted the diocese may have had his trust misplaced in another diocese.
These men are sick, but the real evil has always been in the Church hierarchy shielding the sick men and even passing them along to another unsuspecting diocese. Perhaps that has at least been slowed or halted somewhat, no thanks to the archbishops/cardinals.