Child Porn Victim's Parents File Suit against Ratigan, Finn and Kc Diocese, KMBC, September 22, 2011

Child Porn Victim's Parents File Suit against Ratigan, Finn and Kc Diocese

KMBC
September 22, 2011

http://www.kmbc.com/r/29268618/detail.html

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Attorneys for a child pornography victim used a little-known pornography statute to file a lawsuit on Thursday in United States District Court against the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, Bishop Robert Finn and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

The lawsuit, filed by the child's parents on her behalf using Masha's Law, charges Ratigan with using the child to produce pornographic materials, which he distributed over the Internet. The complaint alleges a subsequent six-month pattern of efforts to protect the priest by top diocese officials.

Masha's Law, which was signed into law in 2009, protects children and families from child pornographers and those who assist them. The law was named for a 5-year-old child who was adopted from a Russian orphanage by a man who sexually abused her.

The complaint specifically alleges that Ratigan, while an employee of the diocese, created child porn involving the plaintiff in the case and many others. When the diocese became aware of Ratigan's photographs, the diocese and Finn failed to report Ratigan to the police. Instead, they "aided and abetted" Ratigan over a six-month period by covering up his conduct, duplicating and distributing the images he created and collaborating to destroy evidence, the suit alleges.

"As we see so often, this case appears to be one of top officials concerned about reputation over safety of children," said Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the family. "We applaud the courage of this family for taking action to make this problem known in order to protect children in the future."