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  Penitent Porn Priest Offers to Go to Prison

By Andrew Seymour
The Province
May 5, 2011

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Penitent+porn+priest+offers+prison/4730130/story.html

A former Catholic bishop turned himself in after pleading guilty Wednesday to importing child pornography, voluntarily beginning a sentence of at least one year.

Raymond Lahey, 70, was taken into custody after admitting to possessing 588 child pornography images along with about 60 videos and numerous stories featuring themes that included the humiliation, degradation and slavery of young boys.

His sentencing is not the end of Lahey's troubles. The Vatican announced Wednesday it would be taking its own disciplinary action against the disgraced priest.

"Although the civil process has run its course, the Holy See will continue to follow the canonical procedures in effect for such cases, which will result in the imposition of the appropriate disciplinary or penal measures," read a Vatican statement.

The images, stories and videos were discovered after Lahey was stopped by border security agents as he returned from a trip to Britain on Sept. 15, 2009. His passport showed he had visited Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Germany since 2005.

Lahey was asked if he was carrying any electronic devices, according to facts read in by the Crown. An officer noticed that Lahey was evasive with his answers, avoided eye contact and changed his tone of voice during specific questions. When some of the images of young males performing sexual acts were discovered, Lahey denied having an interest in child pornography but said that "he was attracted to males aged 20 to 21," according to the Crown.

Lahey was also carrying a bag of personal sex toys, according to the Crown.

His lawyer, Michael Edelson, said his client deeply and profoundly regretted what he had done and wanted to begin serving his jail sentence immediately.

In addition to the criminal charges, Lahey is also accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual abuse at the infamous Mount Cashel orphanage.

 
 

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