Vatican police arrest ex-diplomat over 'child pornography'

Police at the Vatican have arrested a priest who previously worked at the Holy See's US embassy on suspicion of possessing child pornography. Carlo Alberto Capella was taken into custody after an investigation. Monsignor Capella was recalled from the US in September 2017 after US authorities told the Vatican about a possible violation of child pornography laws by one of its diplomats.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43680234 

Editorial: Gymnastics' pervert doctor got what he deserved. More heads should roll

The most enduring image from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was gymnast Kerri Strug’s courageous second vault and perfect landing on a badly sprained ankle that sealed the all-around gold medal for Team USA. As she was carried off the floor, she was turned over to the tender mercies of team doctor Larry Nassar, helping cement his fame as a healer. On Wednesday, Nassar, 54, was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison on multiple counts of sexual assault involving young women he treated. During seven days of victim-impact hearings in a Lansing, Mich., courtroom, 156 women testified that Nassar had abused them under the guise of providing medical care either as a team doctor for USA Gymnastics or at Michigan State University, where he was a faculty member. He also faces a 60-year federal sentence on child pornography charges.

http://www.stltoday.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-gymnastics-pervert-doctor-got-what-he-deserved-more-heads/article_318c3411-e696-5250-9443-19020d6557fc.html 

Corey Feldman fears for safety after revealing Hollywood paedophile documentary plans

US actor Corey Feldman is convinced his recent clash with police is connected to threats he is receiving for pursuing a documentary about Hollywood paedophiles. The Goonies star, who rose to fame as a child in the 1980s, was fined in Louisiana for possession of medical marijuana on Saturday (Sunday NZ Time) after he and his Corey Feldman & The Angels bandmates were stopped by police.
Feldman believes the traffic stop is linked to his intentions to expose prominent members of the entertainment industry, who he alleges sexually assaulted the actor and his late friend Corey Haim while they were child stars in Hollywood, in a new film.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/98282581/corey-feldman-fears-for-safety-after-revealing-hollywood-paedophile-documentary-plans 

“An Open Secret”: Must-watch Documentary on Hollywood’s Casting Couch for Kids

If any good is coming from the Harvey Weinstein affair, it’s that a light is being shined, albeit briefly, on a far greater Hollywood scandal: the sexual abuse of young actors. If it sounds as if I speak of it as “an open secret,” it’s because that’s precisely what it is, as an excellent documentary by that name illustrates most convincingly.
While An Open Secret (AOS) isn’t new any more than is Hollywood child sex abuse (the film was released in 2014/15), the Weinstein scandal has brought it renewed attention. And this it richly deserves. The documentary didn’t do well in theaters, but this is likely, as Flavorwire wrote in November 2014, “due to the fact that distributors won’t touch it. After all, men like Bryan Singer [a director accused of sexual misconduct] make billions of dollars for corporations.

https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/27257-an-open-secret-must-watch-documentary-on-hollywood-s-casting-couch-for-kids 

Confessions of a Porn-Addicted Priest

“Forgive me. I have sinned.” I’ve always counted it a privilege to hear these words, to offer forgiveness. But for years, it was tainted with self-recrimination: You’re a hypocrite. Indeed, who was I to forgive or offer counsel, when I struggled with sin that I myself refused to confess because I couldn’t give it up and wasn’t sure I wanted to? Now, I have a confession to make.

It began during seminary, scanning photo galleries of models and actresses that I was attracted to. It seemed harmless, no threat to my celibate commitment. I took that promise seriously. I had no illusions that it would be easy, and it wasn’t. This might take the edge off, I thought.

http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/03/22/confessions-porn-addicted-priest 

Hurst pastor takes computer in for repair, faces child porn charge

A Hurst associate pastor faces a child pornography charge after he took his computer to a Best Buy store to be repaired, according to a Hurst Police Department news release.
Store employees called police about 8:40 p.m. Thursday after finding what appeared to be child pornography on a customer’s computer, according to the news release. After investigating, police arrested and charged the owner of the computer, 78-year-old James Rankin, with possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony. Bond was set at $5,000.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/northeast-tarrant/article140563453.html#storylink=cpy

 

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/northeast-tarrant/article140563453.html 

Sex orgies, prostitution, porn: Allegations shake Catholic Church in Italy

ROME (RNS) — Lurid accusations of priests involved in sex orgies, porn videos and prostitution have emerged from several parishes in Italy recently, sending shock waves all the way to the Vatican and challenging the high standards Pope Francis demands of clergy.
In the southern city of Naples, for example, a priest was recently suspended from the parish of Santa Maria degli Angeli over claims he held gay orgies and used Internet sites to recruit potential partners whom he paid for sex.

http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/sex-orgies-prostitution-porn-allegations-shake-catholic-church-in-italy/ar-AAo5zgV?li=AAavLaF&ocid=spartandhp 

A troubling sign that the will to combat clerical child abuse is waning

MARIE COLLINS is a brave Irish Catholic woman. In 1960, when she was a 13-year-old patient in a Catholic children’s hospital, she was abused, and photographed in a predatory way, by a hospital chaplain. For the remainder of her childhood and early adult life, she suffered from depression.
Some 25 years on, when she found the courage to discuss the experience with representatives of the church, they were defensive and unhelpful. Now she is an internationally known figure in the campaign to bring succour to abuse victims and hold to account both clerical wrongdoers and bishops who cover up such crimes.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2017/03/too-little-stomach-fight 

We call this residential care, I call it institutionalisation of trauma": Group calls for better child protection

SHANE GRIFFIN spent eight years of his childhood in State care. In that time he was moved through multiple foster placements, suffered sexual and physical abuse, and ran away from his place of residence multiple times.
“I’m an adult child of the Irish State,” Griffin told listeners gathered in room in Leinster House on Wednesday.

http://www.thejournal.ie/care-leavers-network-3253530-Feb2017/ 

Pittsburgh Diocese Subpoenaed As Part Of Grand Jury Probe Into Priest Sex Abuse Allegations

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) — The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has been subpoenaed by the state Attorney General’s Office as part of an investigation into the allegations of sex abuse by priests.
In a statement, Bishop David Zubik says the Diocese will cooperate fully with investigators.
“We immediately responded to the Attorney General’s wish and said that we would cooperate fully,” said Bishop Zubik. “They were very specific about asking us to prepare to turn any files over that we had on accusations that were made against anybody about sexual misconduct with children, whether that’s credible or not credible.”

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/09/16/pittsburgh-diocese-subpoenaed-as-part-of-grand-jury-probe-into-priest-sex-abuse-allegations/ 

Should St. Ann parishioners have been told their pastor was being investigated over child porn?

Within hours of getting a report in August that images of nude children were found on computers owned by the pastor of St. Ann's Church in Emmaus, the Allentown Catholic Diocese informed authorities. But for the next six Sundays — even as Lehigh County investigators sifted through photos on two laptops — parishioners were urged at Mass to pray for their pastor's health.
Monsignor John Stephen Mraz's arrest Tuesday on charges of possessing child pornography left some members of his congregation angry that they would be asked to remember him in their prayers without being told he was under investigation.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-allentown-catholic-priest-parishioners-20160917-story.html 

Child pornographer in All Saints case gets 235 years for sexually exploiting children

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Liverpool man was sentenced to 235 years in prison today for sexually exploiting two children for the purpose of making child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby imposed the sentence on Jason Kopp, who had pleaded guilty. Suddaby said the essential life sentence was justified because Kopp was a "repeat sex offender who preyed upon the most vulnerable of society."

http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/09/child_pornographer_all_saints_prison.html 

Pastor of catholic church speaks out following assistant director's arrest

Church members are still in shock after a church employee was arrested on child pornography charges. John Martin has since been fired from his position as Assistant Director for the Parish Religious Education Program.
"It's a rude awakening. You can never be certain," Father Phil O’Kennedy, Pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, said. After Martin’s arrest, an important first step for the church was researching when Martin had been in contact with children.

http://www.wtvm.com/story/32462341/pastor-of-catholic-church-speaks-out-following-assistant-directors-arrest

Catholic private school who blew £600 a week on paedophile drug parties is jailed for horrific stash of porn images featuring children as young as two

The deputy head of a scandal-hit Catholic private school was jailed today after admitting getting hooked on child pornography blowing £600 a week on paedophile drug parties.

Peter Allott, 37, led a double life working as a high-flying devout Christian headteacher, while at the weekends he indulged in drug-fuelled sex orgies, swapping sickening images of children with other perverts.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3575806/Cambridge-educated-deputy-head-15-000-year-Catholic-private-school-blew-600-week-paedophile-drug-parties-jailed-horrific-stash-porn-images-featuring-children-young-two.html 

'Porn viewers risk becoming child abusers'

The child pornography market is expanding dramatically and viewing it could be the catalyst for some to engage in hands-on abuse of children, experts say.
The warning is contained in a research report to the child sex abuse royal commission as it tackles how to abuse-proof institutions where children are at risk.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/01/07/09/24/porn-viewers-risk-becoming-child-abusers 

Man arrested after allegedly admitting to sexually abusing up to 25 children at church

An Oklahoma City man has been arrested after allegedly claiming to have sexually abused up to 25 children at church. Deputies with the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office arrested 26-year-old Robert Dean Painter after he allegedly admitted to sexually abusing up to 25 children at church and collecting child pornography.
The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children got a hold of the emails and forwarded the information to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The sheriff’s office was contacted and they immediately took him into custody.

http://kfor.com/2015/10/08/man-arrested-after-allegedly-admitting-to-sexually-abusing-up-to-25-children-at-church/ 

Former St. Margaret Mary priest being returned to Louisville from Florida

U.S. Marshals are bringing a priest back to Louisville after he was arrested in Florida. Father Stephen Pohl resigned from St. Margaret Mary last week, and was arrested in Florida on Friday. He has pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges.
Authorities say they found evidence that Pohl looked at images of naked children between the ages of 6 and 16 on two work computers. He is also accused of taking pictures of students in provocative poses, but those children were fully clothed.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/29874713/former-st-margaret-mary-priest-being-returned-to-louisville-from-florida 

Louisville priest placed on leave amid child porn investigation

The pastor at St. Margaret Mary Parish has been placed on leave after the archdiocese learned he was under investigation for alleged possession of child porn. The Archdiocese of Louisville issued a release Saturday saying Fr. Stephen A. Pohl was being placed on an administrative leave of absence. Parishioners will be notified at weekend masses.
The release says he is under investigation for allegedly taking and collecting inappropriate photos of children.

http://www.wave3.com/story/29794114/louisville-priest-placed-on-leave-amid-child-porn-investigation 

Church Turned In Prominent Priest Over Possibly Criminal Sexual Images

Suspicious material found on the computer of a prominent pastor has resulted in an investigation and the removal of Rev. Octavio Munoz Capetillo from his position at St. Pancratius Church in Brighton Park.
The Archdiocese of Chicago released a statement this week, picked up by ABC7, notifying the public of Capetillo’s dismissal on July 27 after “sexual images and material” were found in his possession, though no further details were released about the nature of the items. The statement reads in full:

http://chicagoist.com/2015/08/04/prominent_catholic_priest_removed_f.php 

Prosecutors Want 14-Year Sentence For 70-Year-Old Detroit Priest In Child Porn Case

Prosecutors are seeking a 14-year prison sentence in a child pornography case involving a priest who secretly recorded hockey players while teaching years ago at a Detroit high school.
The government calls the Rev. Richard Kurtz a “wolf in shepherd’s clothing.” The 70-year-old is returning to federal court for his sentence Tuesday. Kurtz’s collection of child porn was discovered in 2011 when priests were packing his belongings in Oakland County and Chicago.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/07/14/prosecutors-want-14-year-sentence-for-70-year-old-detroit-priest-in-child-porn-case/