April 21, 2005

Priest to admit embezzling church, having child porn

PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

By Chris Parker
Of The Morning Call

A Schuylkill County Catholic priest charged with having hundreds of child pornography photos, books, magazines, videotapes and DVDs at his home and a rental storage unit and with embezzling church money has agreed to plead guilty.

The Rev. Ronald J. Yarrosh, 57, who was an assistant pastor at St. Ambrose Church in Schuylkill Haven and on the advisory board of the parish grade school when charged in April 2004, will enter the plea Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court, a plea agreement says.

He is to plead guilty to theft, receiving stolen property, criminal use of a communication facility and sexual abuse of children.

The plea agreement says Yarrosh will face three to 23 months in prison, followed by 20 months of parole and 10 years of probation, and must pay $6,617 in restitution to St. Ambrose Church and $17,012 to the Catholic Mutual Group, a self-insurance fund of the Catholic Church.

Yarrosh will undergo a sexual offender evaluation before being sentenced, Assistant District Attorney Karen Byrnes-Noon said.

Posted by kshaw at April 21, 2005 04:46 AM