Child Porn Charges Dropped against Counselor, WPTV, March 23, 2010

Child Porn Charges Dropped against Counselor

WPTV
March 23, 2010

http://www.wptv.com/content/news/indianriver/verobeach/story/child-porn-charges-dropped-Gerald-Lamothe-wptv/p3S7ggtfMEa4EB7sF96g2Q.cspx

VERO BEACH, FL – The state has dropped all 33 charges of possession of child pornography filed against Vero Beach pastoral counselor Gerald Lamothe, who formerly was a Catholic priest, according to court files.

Vero Beach Police arrested Lamothe in April 2009 following an investigation in allegations that child pornography was on his office computer in Vero Beach.

Prosecutors and police officials were not immediately available for comment about the decision to not prosecute Lamothe.

Lamothe’s current defense attorney, former State Attorney Robert Stone, is planning to make an announcement about the case today.

Soon after the arrest, Lamothe’s defense attorneys began saying the circumstances of the case were odd.

The investigation started with a delivery man calling police about seeing a pornographic image on Lamothe’s office computer at 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 when the office was closed.

And in the past, Lamothe, 61, "has never been suspected of any sort of inappropriate activity or abuse of a child," said his prior attorney Jeff Batista.

Lamothe is known in the community as a former candidate for the Indian River County School Board and for his years of work in counseling. He became a religious counselor after leaving the Catholic priesthood and getting married.

And his office landlord, Roger Pridgeon, said, "I trusted his word," according to court records.