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US Marshals escort frmr. Pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish back to Lou.
By Derrick Rose
[with video] LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) -- Father Stephen Pohl was in court Wednesday, Sept. 2, where a judge decided he will be released Thursday morning on house arrest under a $25,000 unsecured bond. Pohl was escorted back to Kentucky from Florida, where he was arrested. Prosecutors say they don't believe he was trying to escape law enforcement when he went to Florida. They say instead he was visiting family. "Father Pohl was not in any way attempting to flee the jurisdiction he is not a flight risk, he was arrested at his sister's house in Tampa," Defense attorney, Ted Shouse, said. Pohl will be staying at his mother's house in Jefferson County. All computers and phones with Internet access have been removed. Prosecutors also asked that all yearbooks and St. Margaret Mary parish directories are also taken out of the home. Under the judge’s order he is to have no access to the Internet, no contact with anyone associated with St. Margaret Mary parish and no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18. Pohl's mother and sister took an oath that they will report Pohl to the court if he violated any of the conditions. These conditions are in place despite the defenses' stance that he is not a danger to the community. “The community is in no danger at all, the community has never been in any danger from Father Pohl,” Shouse said. In response to Pohl's release, SNAP or the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, issued a statement urging Archbishop Joseph Kurtz to take action. It said, "Catholic officials often pretend to be powerless about or over predator priests, but in this case, real outreach by Kurtz could make a difference." Pohl is expected back in court for his arraignment on Sept. 29, unless the grand jury, which will meet mid-month, decides to indict him sooner.
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