Former Waterford Priest Charged with Possession of Child Porn (document)

New Haven Register
July 3, 2012

http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/07/03/news/doc4ff30cde3232b569440623.txt

[With statement from the Rev. Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich]

The former pastor of a Roman Catholic church in Waterford has been arrested on a child pornography charge, state police said Tuesday.

The Rev. Dennis Carey was being held on $100,000 bond and was scheduled to appear Tuesday in New London Superior Court on a charge of possessing child pornography in the first degree.

Telephone messages left for Carey's attorney and at the church were not immediately returned.

The arrest came after police in Los Angeles notified Connecticut authorities about a possible suspect. Connecticut investigators said they executed a search warrant at the St. Paul Parish rectory and seized evidence.

Carey, who is 65, resigned as pastor of St. Paul last week.

Bishop Michael R. Cote of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich said the diocese was "saddened and deeply hurt" by the allegations.

"We, along with everyone else, will wait to see how the legal process unfolds and to learn the details of the investigation," Cote said. "These allegations are extremely serious and run contrary to everything we believe as a church. To exploit children in that fashion is absolutely reprehensible. We pray the allegations are not true."

The Rev. Joseph Whittel, of Our lady of Perpetual Help Church in Quaker Hill, will serve as interim parish administrator, Cote said.