Vatican tosses out Canada ex-bishop over child porn

Search at the Ottawa airport of Raymond Lahey's laptop computer in 2009 uncovered a cache of child pornography.


Afp May 17, 2012

OTTAWA: A former Catholic bishop convicted of importing child pornography - including some laced with religious imagery - into Canada has been stripped of his religious duties, the church said Wednesday.

"The Holy See has dismissed Raymond Lahey from the clerical state, one of the most serious penalties that the church can impose," said a statement from Brian Dunn, the new bishop of Antigonish.

Raymond Lahey, 71, resigned as head of the Nova Scotia diocese in 2009 after a search at the Ottawa airport of his laptop computer uncovered a cache of child pornography.

He pleaded guilty in May 2011 to charges of possessing for the purpose of importing child pornography and was later sentenced to 15 months in prison but walked out of court a free man in January after already serving time in jail.

Among more than 600 photographs and videos found by police were scenes of bondage and boys in sex acts wearing a crucifix and rosary beads.

Lahey had asked the church to strip him of his duties and "to be reduced to a layman's status," his lawyer Michael Edelson had said after the court proceedings.

COMMENTS (2)

Imran Con | 11 years ago | Reply

Those pictures seem a little too exact in their settings to be simple search-and-find downloads. That investigation should probably go a bit deeper. Yes, I've actually had experience in such cases. No, I was not on the bad end of it. You'll find most of the pictures/movies found are actually the same sets that have been around for a long time across most of the people guilty of simply downloading without being actively involved. That or they originate from very specific countries if they're newer and the people who get caught downloading them are from other countries, being relatively uninvolved. Though it's pretty obvious those countries just lack laws or effort in tracking down the ones who create it and download it which creates the space I mentioned more than some countries having a monopoly on downloads. There's more to that guy than just being a closet pervert or at the very least he can give information to shut down some active child porn groups.

mj | 11 years ago | Reply

this reminds me of a scene from 'V for Vendetta' ,

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