Catholic priest, 69, faces jail after police found 1,555 child pornography images ...

By Freya Noble
Daily Mail (UK)
June 30, 2014

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2674698/South-Australian-priest-pleads-guilty-child-pornography-charges-police-discover-1-555-offending-images.html

Father Stanislaus Hogan, 69, pleaded guilty to accessing and possessing child pornography at the District Court in Adelaide on Monday

The 1,555 images were discovered at Saint Ignatius College in Adelaide, however Hogan also taught at St Aloysius College in Sydney, pictured

Catholic priest, 69, faces jail after police found 1,555 child pornography images in his bedroom at college where he worked

A Catholic priest who had over a thousand child pornography images in the bedroom at the college he worked at struggled to reconcile his sexuality with his Jesuit beliefs, an Adelaide court has heard.

In Father Stanislaus Hogan's locked room at St Ignatius College in Adelaide, police discovered 1,555 images and police also located magazines and videos bought legally in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Sophie David, for Father Stanislaus Hogan, said the 69-year-old had done a lot of good in his life but had now lost his teaching career and his good reputation had been 'indelibly stained'.

'He has also made clear his intention to apply to be released from his vows on August 14,' she said on Monday at Hogan's sentencing hearing in the Adelaide District Court.

He has pleaded guilty to an aggravated count of possessing child pornography and a count of using a carriage service to access child pornography at Athelstone between April 20 and June 10 2012.

Prosecutor Scott Swain said the ages of the children ranged between three months and 16 years.

'His main interest was in images of boys in the low-to-mid teens, the very age range of children at the school where he was employed,' he said.

Ms David said Hogan, who previously taught at Xavier College in Melbourne and St Aloysius college in Sydney, sought professional help after his arrest and now had insight into his offending.

More than 70 percent of the images were classed in the least serious category involving no sexual activity, but five images and videos were in category five, the most serious.

A psychologist said Hogan had previously suffered with alcohol problems and depression, which were directly related to his struggle to reconcile his sexuality with his ethical and religious beliefs.

Ms David urged the judge to impose a suspended jail term, saying he had excellent prospects for rehabilitation.

But Mr Swain said such a sentence would be 'manifestly inadequate'.

Hogan, whose bail was continued, will be sentenced on a later date.