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  Priest Indicted on More Child Porn Charges

Fox 4
August 9, 2011

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-priest-indicted-on-more-child-porn-charges-20110809,0,7080176.story

The Missouri priest accused of possessing child pornography has been indicted on 13 counts by the U.S. Attorney in Jackson County on Tuesday. Shawn Ratigan, 45, has already been charged with possession of child pornography in Clay County, Mo.

Ratigan was charged Tuesday with 11 counts of producing child pornography and two counts of possessing child pornography. The indictment states that Ratigan took pictures of five young girls ranging in age from two to seven-years-old.

Ratigan was the parish pastor at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Kansas City, Mo., and as chaplain to the Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Eucharist in Independence.

Court documents in Jackson County show on June 16, police were issued a search warrant and conducted a search of a residence in Independence, Mo. where Ratigan was staying as a guest. The search was issued after a tip, which suggested there were more inappropriate pictures on the computer inside the home where Ratigan had visited.

The documents show police found pictures including one picture of a girl with an angle that exposes her underpants.

Ratigan was arrested in May for possession of child pornography. Bishop Robert Finn of the Kansas City-St Joseph Diocese has apologized for mishandling the case. The diocese found out about the original pictures in December but did not turn them over to police until May.

 
 

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