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	Priest Jailed for Downloading Indecent Photos By Neil McKay The Journal January 15, 2011 http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2011/01/15/priest-jailed-for-downloading-indecent-photos-61634-27989681/ A SHAMED Catholic priest was beginning an eight-month prison sentence last night for downloading hundreds of vile images of indecent photos of children onto his computer. John Terence Paul Shannon, 58, was a respected lecturer at St Cuthbert's Seminary, at Ushaw College, near Esh, County Durham, when he was downloading "shocking" images of children as young as nine at his accommodation within the college grounds. Authorities were alerted by staff at the college, where Shannon was a part-time lecturer to trainee priests. Shannon, of The Elms, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, who was also a priest at the Diocese of East Anglia, had earlier admitted 16 counts of making indecent photographs of a child and one charge of possessing an unconfirmed number of indecent images of children. The offences were committed in Esh and date from November 2009 to June 16, 2010 and reported to catholic authorities by Ushaw College IT staff who then passed on their concerns to police. Shannon was suspended from his duties as a lecturer at the 200-year-old college, which is due to close later this year, in June last year. The severity of the indecent images ranged from level one to level four. The most severe level for such an image is five. Judge Christopher Prince had requested pre-sentence reports by the Probation Service before passing sentence. After his sentencing, a joint statement was issued by St Cuthbert's Seminary and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. It said: "The IT systems the college now has in place on the network allow us to monitor internet traffic within the whole of Ushaw College. A routine report alerted us to the fact that Father Shannon had visited a number of inappropriate websites which were the subject of today's court hearing. "We immediately implemented our safeguarding procedure and notified Hexham and Newcastle Diocese safeguarding office who in turn notified Durham Constabulary. This is the agreed procedure in line with the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service policies. The result was the immediate arrest of John Shannon on the same day. "Fr Shannon was immediately suspended from his duties at St Cuthbert's Seminary and he subsequently resigned. He was also quickly withdrawn from ministry in East Anglia and elsewhere pending the outcome of this matter." The statement went on: "Offences of this nature could be seen by some as victimless crimes. We at St Cuthbert's Seminary and Hexham and Newcastle Diocese do not share this view. "We are mindful that the images found in Fr Shannon's possession were of children who should expect to be protected and not exploited. "It is deplorable that abuse of children occurs at all and shocking that images of such abuse are available on the internet. To have such images viewed by anyone is regrettable. "John Shannon is a priest and therefore in a position of trust, his actions in viewing and downloading such material cannot and should not be condoned or excused. "We are confident that our colleagues in East Anglia Diocese will deal with Fr Shannon appropriately on his release from prison. "Neither Hexham and Newcastle Diocese nor St Cuthbert's Seminary have any authority over what action could be taken as that is a matter for East Anglia Diocese. "We believe that we have dealt with this matter properly but regret that the activities of John Shannon made the action necessary at all. "Now that Fr Shannon has been sentenced we hope that we can move on from what has been a deeply distressing time for both students and staff."
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