Ex-Fitchburg Priest Pleads Guilty to Child Porn, Larceny Charges

Senteinel & Enterprise
February 27, 2013

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/breakingnews/ci_22680374/ex-fitchburg-priest-pleads-guilty-child-porn-larceny

WORCESTER -- A former Fitchburg priest pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography on his computer and stealing from his parish.

At Worcester Superior Court, the Rev. Lowe Dongor was sentenced to five years probation and has to repay $750 in retribution to the Diocese of Worcester.

Timothy Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., said prosecution was seeking a one- to three-year state prison sentence for Dongor as well as five years probation.

Dongor pleaded guilty to charges of possession of child pornography and larceny over $250. Charges related to Dongor's escape to the Philippines while on bail were not mentioned and Connolly did not have information on that issue immediately.

In June 2011 a computer expert found pornographic images of underage girls on Dongor's computer. While confessing to police about the images, he admitted to stealing money from St. Joseph Parish in Fitchburg, where he had been stationed as a priest since 2010.

Dongor was arraigned on Sept. 10, 2011, for those charges and fled to the Philippines before his next court appearance scheduled for Oct. 25, 2011.

He was caught in December by authorities in the Philippines in December 2012 and extradited to Los Angeles on Dec. 10 before being sent back to Massachusetts the same month.