Kiddie Sex Perv Works for Church, Wishaw Press, June 8, 2011

Kiddie Sex Perv Works for Church

Wishaw Press
June 8, 2011

http://www.wishawpress.co.uk/wishaw-news/local-wishaw-news/wishaw-news/2011/06/08/kiddie-sex-perv-works-for-church-76495-28837972/

THE Pather pervert who admitted grooming a schoolgirl on the internet works for the Diocese of Motherwell and has been placed on a leave of absence.

His church employers will wait until twisted Kevin Connell (29) has been sentenced in court later this month before deciding whether to take any further action against him.

Last week the Wishaw Press reported that disgusting Connell of Lomond Drive is facing jail after admitting grooming a 15-year-old girl on the internet.

Now we can reveal that he is employed by the Diocese of Motherwell as a print room operator and the church are waiting to hear more facts on the case – despite Connell's admission of guilt.

Throughout a four-month period in late 2008 – during which he pretended to be 19-years-old – he coerced a schoolgirl into participating in indecent acts, including stripping naked and exposing herself on a webcam.

Eventually, when his requests became more sexually explicit the girl informed her parents, who contacted police.

Following his guilty plea at Hamilton Sheriff Court last month to using lewd and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the girl, sick Connell was granted bail and will return for sentencing on June 22.

A Wishaw Press investigation into Connell's background uncovered that he was employed by the Diocese of Motherwell as a printer.

We contacted the church to seek clarification on Connell's position there and in response, received a statement from the diocese chancellor, Frank Cassidy.

It read: "Mr Connell is on leave of absence from his job as print room operator. The Diocese of Motherwell is awaiting the Sheriff's judgment and the sentence of the court.

"At that stage we will be better informed of the facts and will then decide on the course of action we should take.

"The diocese will be issuing no further statements until the court presents its summation and verdict."

A spokesperson for NSPCC Scotland said they did not comment on individual cases.

Connell pleaded guilty to using lewd and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the girl. These included sending her electronic messages of a sexually explicit nature, inducing her to remove her clothing and also to take indecent photographs and video recordings of herself.

He got the girl to send him these indecent photos and video recordings and also had her connect a camera to a computer where images of her could be recorded and transmitted and viewed by him.

The girl ended the relationship and informed her parents of what had happened.

Police then raided Connell's home and seized computer equipment he had used to contact the girl.

He pleaded not guilty to possessing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, which was accepted by the Crown.

Last year the Bishop of Motherwell, Joseph Devine, claimed that a media-driven anti-Catholic agenda was "hell-bent on depicting the Catholic Church as the paedophile empire of sexual abuse against children."

However, his comments were criticised as "ignorant" by abuse victim Helen Holland, who is an advisor for the Scottish Executive-backed Time To Be Heard project, a confidential forum which encourages victims to come forward about their experiences.