Church Sex Abuse Inquiry Hears Allegation Priest Destroyed Gay Porn

By Andrew Potts
Gay Star News
July 9, 2013

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/church-sex-abuse-inquiry-hears-allegation-priest-destroyed-gay-porn090713


An inquiry into whether police helped cover up child sex abuse allegations against Catholic priests in Australia’s Hunter Valley has been told that a priest allegedly destroyed gay porn to protect another priest - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/church-sex-abuse-inquiry-hears-allegation-priest-destroyed-gay-porn090713#sthash.FVc2Ozdi.dpuf

Whistleblower Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox has told a New South Wales (NSW) state inquiry into allegations that police helped cover up sex crimes by Catholic priests that a priest destroyed gay porn owned by another priest who abused children.

Fox told Australia’s ABC TV channel in 2012 that priests had destroyed evidence ‘before we were able to secure it’ when he had been investigating sex abuse claims against Catholic priests in the Hunter Valley region.

Fox told the inquiry that the evidence he alleges was destroyed was a cache of gay porn including videos and magazines found in a presbytery.

Fox told the inquiry that he believed the pornography had been removed and destroyed because it was owned by Father Jim Fletcher – who was later convicted of child abuse.

Fox told the inquiry that the pornography came to light while Fletcher was awaiting trial for sexually abusing an altar boy in 2013.

Fox alleges that Father Des Harrigan, another Hunter Valley priest, told him that he had destroyed the pornography but Harrigan denies ever telling Fox this.

A lawyer at the inquiry representing Harrigan questioned why Fox had not sought to get the priest make a statement about destroying the pornography if he had told him.

‘I put it to you that Father Harrigan made no admission to you about destroying pornography,’ lawyer Elizabeth McLaughlin said to Fox.

‘He did, Fox replied.

‘You didn't give him the opportunity to make a (police) statement in relation to that conversation? McLaughlin asked.

‘At the time, based on what he said and what I know about those items, I could not see how taking a statement from him could be used for my purposes,’ Fox said.

Fox agreed that if the pornography had not belonged to Fletcher then its destruction was not important.

‘I want to suggest to you that you made up the answer [yourself] that the pornography was destroyed because it belonged to Fletcher,’ Counsel assisting the inquiry Julia Lonergan SC said.

Fox said it was not impossible that the gay pornography had belonged to Father Harrigan instead.

‘I still at the same time can't discount the possibility that the material might have belonged to James Fletcher,’ Fox said.

Fletcher died in jail in 2006 after being convicted of nine charges of child sexual abuse.

Fox has alleged the existence of a ‘Catholic mafia’ within elements of the NSW Police force who he says have stifled efforts to investigate allegations against Catholic priests.