By Nigel Hunt
Sunday Mail
December 2, 2007
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22855080-5006301,00.html
EXCLUSIVE: ONE of Adelaide's most respected Catholic priests has been photographed in war-torn Afghanistan carrying a deadly assault rifle.
It can also be revealed Father Tony Pearson is the target in a long-running SA Police Pedophile Task Force investigation.
The investigation was launched after material concerning Father Pearson was provided to the Mullighan Inquiry late last year.
The Sunday Mail has learned police discovered this photograph of Father Pearson in the devoutly Muslim country while searching his computer hard drive. He is holding what appears to be an AK-47 assault rifle.
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| The picture of Father Tony Pearson dioscoverd by police on his Cathloic Church work computer. |
Father Pearson's activities in Afghanistan have also been scrutinised by SAPOL's Protective Security Service and ASIO, Australia's domestic intelligence service.
The Sunday Mail has also learned that, along with the weapons photographs, Father Pearson's office computer – owned by the church – also contained several hundred pornographic images of young men.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide has confirmed Father Pearson has stood down pending the outcome of the police investigation and any inquiry the church may subsequently undertake.
Catholic Archbishop Phillip Wilson and Monsignor David Cappo have been kept briefed on the status of the police inquiry.
In an emailed statement, Chancellor Jane Swift said the church authorities first became aware of the inquiry when contacted by police 12 months ago.
It is understood senior police then subsequently advised the Archdiocese in writing of the Pedophile Task Force inquiry.
Father Pearson then agreed to stand aside after discussions with senior church officials.
"Since that time the Archdiocese has co-operated fully and assisted the police with their inquiries and investigations," Chancellor Swift said.
"At the request of the police – and so as not to interfere with any of their investigations – the Archdiocese has not, thus far, been able to take any action of its own.
"Father Pearson is voluntarily standing aside from all church positions and active ministry while the police investigations continue."
She confirmed Father Pearson was currently in Afghanistan and had been for the past two months, but said "he is certainly not on church business and has never travelled there on official church business".
She said the Catholic church in SA "has no links whatever with any organisation in Afghanistan".
"Tony Pearson's trips to Afghanistan have been private trips, in his own time and funded by him. Consequently, there has been no requirement or obligation for him to advise the church in respect of them," she said.
Chancellor Swift could not respond directly to questions concerning the appropriateness of a priest possessing pornographic material on his office computer, or being photographed holding firearms in Afghanistan.
"The church cannot make any pre-emptive comment about the allegations or what action might be appropriate until it is allowed access to all relevant and available evidence," she said.
"At the request of the police, and so as not to prejudice the police inquiries, the church has not taken, and has not been able to take, any action of its own to investigate the various allegations against Tony Pearson".
Prior to voluntarily standing down, Father Pearson was heavily involved in the Archdiocese of Adelaide's Aboriginal Catholic Ministry and the Otherway Centre in Pirie St as chaplain. He is a frequent traveller to Afghanistan, having visited the country up to six times in recent years.
He has also written extensively about the persecution of its people by the Taliban and has been active in assisting Afghan refugees entering South Australia.
It is understood the nature of the Pedophile Task Force inquiry concerns his dealings with underage Aboriginal males through his involvement with the Otherway Centre.
Pedophile Task Force detectives raided his office at the Otherway Centre in the early stages of the inquiry, discovering the weapons photographs and pornographic images.
It is understood police have been unable to identify any of the males in the images. It is understood many of the images had been edited to remove their heads and prevent identification.
The Afghanistan weapons images were referred to the Protective Security Service because of their content and the location they were taken.
After assessing the images, SAPOL referred the matter to ASIO, which on Friday declined to comment.
Senior police on Friday declined to comment on the status of either the Pedophile Task Force investigation or the Protective Security Service investigation when approached for comment by the Sunday Mail.
Father Pearson declined to comment when contacted in Afghanistan by a senior church official on the Sunday Mail's behalf.
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