April 28, 2005

Schuylkill priest pleads guilty to porn charges

PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

A Schuylkill County Catholic priest who was 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, pleaded guilty Wednesday in county court to three counts of sexual abuse of children, criminal use of a communication facility, theft and receiving stolen property.

But a judge delayed sentencing pending an evaluation of the Rev. Ronald J. Yarrosh.

Yarrosh, 57, 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.

Police searching Yarrosh's bedroom, library-sitting room and office at the rectory April 23 found a "voluminous" amount of pornography that included books and magazines with pictures of prepubescent children in various stages of dress, performing sex acts and in erotic poses, an affidavit says.

Posted by kshaw at April 28, 2005 05:01 AM