Qld Priest Asks Court to Forgive Porn Sins

By Christine Flatley
9 News
March 7, 2012

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8431262

A former Catholic priest has asked a court for forgiveness after being sentenced for child pornography charges, a court has been told.

Neil Joseph Byrne, 61, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court on Wednesday to eight counts of making and one of possessing child exploitation material.

He was sentenced to a nine-month wholly suspended sentence.

The offences occurred between 2005 and 2011 while he was a priest at The Gap Parish at St John's Wood, in Brisbane's inner west.

Prosecutor Maita Aylward told the court Byrne engaged in online chats with another man during that time, discussing sexual exploits he claimed to have had with young boys at the nearby school.

He later told police he had made up the stories as fantasies to fulfil his own sexual gratification, and that he suffered "immense shame" over his behaviour.

Judge Hugh Botting expressed his concerns about whether simply talking about pretend scenarios with young children constituted the charge of "making child exploitation material".

"I'm sure the average person would be very surprised to be told that the parliament intended that the person who merely chats about these things was found to be making child exploitation material," Judge Botting said.

However, he agreed to proceed after receiving assurances from the Crown that the facts of the case fell within the law.

Defence barrister Neville Weston told the court his client had no future as a priest but the church was still paying him an annual stipend of $11,500 while he was on extended leave.

"The most he can hope for is that he remain on this form of extended leave until he turns 65 and after that he believes the stipend will be terminated and he will have to exist on the old-age pension," Mr Weston said.

Byrne sobbed as he addressed the court following Mr Weston's submissions, saying he had questioned whether he was a "bad or a mad person".

He told the court he had spent his life teaching people compassion and forgiveness, and that he was now asking the court to do the same.

Byrne's family was in court to support him.

The Archdiocese of Brisbane says it has revoked Byrne's authorisation to be a minister.

Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett says he will refer the case to the appropriate congregation in Rome.

The Archdiocese is deeply saddened by this crime, Bishop Jarrett said.

"The Catholic Church condemns sexual exploitation in all its forms," he said in a statement.