Ex-novi Priest to Plead in Child Porn Case

By Robert Snell
Detroit News
July 9, 2013

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130709/METRO01/307090073/Ex-Catholic-priest-from-Novi-expected-plead-guilty-child-porn-case

A former Catholic priest charged with downloading child pornography is expected to plead guilty in federal court July 24, according to court officials.

Timothy Murray of Novi, former pastor of St. Edith Parish in Livonia, is expected to enter the plea in front of U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts, said Gina Balaya, spokeswoman with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to prosecutors, Murray was detected by undercover U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigators downloading pornographic pictures of naked young children engaged in sexual poses on his personal computer between May and November 2012.

Murray is free on a $10,000 bond.

The former priest allegedly admitted to investigators that he used special software to download child porn and that he had about 500 images and videos of child porn that he downloaded from the Internet onto his computer, according to court files.

Federal investigators say Murray also admitted he views child pornography weekly and that it helps him to engage in a sexual act, according to court records. Murray also allegedly told investigators his preference is 13-year-old boys.

The videos Murray viewed on his computer “contained images of minor boys between the ages of approximately 6 and 16 displaying their genitals in a (suggestive) manner and/or engaging in sexual contact with other minor boys and/or adults,” according to the federal complaint.

In 2004, Murray was removed from public ministry for the Archdiocese of Detroit on allegations he was having sex with a minor. The allegations stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred more than 30 years ago.

Civil authorities chose not to investigate further because too much time had elapsed.

Contact: rsnell@detroitnews.com

[]