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	Pornography Problems Described By Eric Moskowitz Concord Monitor [New Hampshire] March 31, 2006 http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20060331/REPOSITORY/603310371/1031 Although a state audit of the Diocese of Manchester uncovered no unreported cases of sexual abuse, auditors revealed a case of a priest who might have used a parish computer to access child pornography. The auditing firm KPMG reviewed the diocese's compliance with the terms of a 2002 agreement that spared the New Hampshire Catholic Church from criminal charges. In reviewing the screening and training of priests, KPMG identified one priest who used a parish computer to visit pornographic websites - and to possibly access child pornography - despite medical orders that he be kept away from computers because of past behavior, the audit said. As a result of the audit, diocese officials came forward to the state in late June 2005 about the priest's behavior, said Will Delker, a senior assistant attorney general. The state is investigating whether the reporting delay violated state law about reporting child abuse or the terms of the 2002 agreement, which holds the church to stricter terms, Delker said. KPMG pieced together details about "Priest A" through notes in his personnel file and an interview with the Rev. Edward Arsenault, the diocese's top official for clergy conduct. Priest A was a relatively new priest assigned to a North Country parish when the diocese received a letter about his conduct from a parish deacon in September 2003. The deacon was concerned that the priest was "intimidating" altar servers by grabbing the children and forcing them to don their vests quickly. The same month, high school students in a religious class said the priest used "graphic sexual language" while explaining how he was "married to the church," the audit said. Police investigated the matter and found no evidence that a crime had been committed, the audit said. The priest resigned from the North Country church Sept. 27, 2003, and checked into a psychiatric hospital soon after. He was later sent to a Catholic treatment center that specializes in substance abuse and psychological disorders. His doctors prepared a contract that called for him to have no access to the internet for six months, and to have restricted access after that. The diocese then placed the priest in two central New Hampshire parishes and assigned him to live in the rectory of a third. Arsenault told the local priests to watch for "budding signs" of repeat behavior in the newly assigned priest. The priest used the internet anyway. On Jan. 22, 2005, a network administrator at the priest's parish discovered pornography on a rectory computer and told Arsenault. The diocese informed its internal investigator, who referred the matter to federal officials. After examining the computer's hard drive and temporary file, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement determined that in a two-month span the priest accessed 6,000 to 10,000 pornographic images, including three possible images of child pornography, KPMG wrote. Officials also determined that the priest had visited various websites for adult and child pornography. Because the three images were contained in a temporary file and not downloaded onto the hard drive, the authorities determined that the priest had not committed any federal crimes, according to the audit report. In a meeting with Arsenault, the priest admitted accessing pornographic sites that contained images of adults and teens, as well as one site that contained images of "incest," according to a Feb. 16, 2005, note that Arsenault placed in the priest's personnel file. The diocese reported the matter to the state four months later not because church officials thought it was required but because they wanted to honor the "spirit" of the 2002 agreement, the audit report said. Arsenault and Attorney General Kelly Ayotte had different takes on the matter yesterday. Ayotte said it was a clear example of one of the main findings of the audit - a disconnect between church officials and local parishes. "Better communication and oversight from the leadership at the diocese could have avoided this type of situation," she said. Arsenault described swift action on the part of the diocese and said the church decided to report the matter to the state even though federal officials determined no federal laws had been broken. "The priest still remains restricted from all ministry," he added.
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