Priest Probed over Indecent Images

UTV
April 2, 2012

http://www.u.tv/News/Priest-probed-over-indecent-images/aaa1f16a-f019-446a-acb4-cf504f36274b

The inappropriate images were shown to parents and a child on 26 March.

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has said a priest who revealed pornographic images during a Holy Communion presentation is being investigated.

Father Martin McVeigh was to host a Powerpoint presentation to parents at St Mary's School in Pomeroy, Co Tyrone last week.

Instead, around 16 pictures of gay porn which had been stored on a memory stick were shown to the 26 parents and an eight-year-old child who was also at the meeting.

Speaking to the Ulster Herald Fr McVeigh said, "I don't know how it happened.

"There are people making innuendoes who weren't even there, but in this day and age these stories grow."

It is understood that although the priest celebrated daily mass as normal during the week, Fr McVeigh was not present for Palm Sunday liturgies on Saturday evening.

Dungannon parish priest Dean Colum Curry read a statement from Cardinal Sean Brady at the service.

"The priest has stated that he had no knowledge of the offending imagery. The Archdiocese immediately sought the advice of the PSNI who indicated that, on the basis of the evidence available, no crime had been committed," said Cardinal Brady.

"The priest is co-operating with an investigation of the matter on the part of the Archdiocese."