Arlington Heights priest free on bond while awaiting child porn trial

By George Houde
Chicago Tribune
March 18, 2015

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/arlington-heights/news/ct-priest-child-porn-met-20150317-story.html

The Rev. Clovis Javier Vilchez-Parra, inset, an associate pastor at the Mision San Juan Diego Catholic church in Arlington Heights, has been charged with reproduction of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

A Catholic priest from an Arlington Heights church will return to court Friday to face indictment on allegations he kept pornographic images of children on his home computer.

The Rev. Clovis Javier Vilchez-Parra, who made a brief appearance in court Tuesday morning, when the indictment was originally due to be issued, was arrested in February after an investigation by Palatine police and the Cook County State's Attorney's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Vilchez-Parra was freed after posting $17,500 on a $175,000 bail bond.

Prosecutors said Vilchez-Parra, 34, was charged with reproduction of child pornography and felony possession of child pornography after investigators traced Internet images to his computer at his home in Palatine.

The home is provided by the Archdiocese of Chicago, which also is providing him the services of his lawyer, Joseph Roddy, the attorney said. It's not clear if the priest is staying in the house again as he awaits trial. Roddy said the archdiocese did not post Vilchez-Parra's bond.

Originally from Peru, the priest had been an associate pastor of Mision San Juan Diego Catholic Church for 18 months and was assigned to Our Lady of Mercy parish in Chicago previously. The archdiocese said in a statement at the time of Vilchez-Parra's arrest that he has been removed from ministry work until the case is resolved.