Former school counselor, priest gets reduced in sex offender status

By Bob Gardinier
Albany Times Union
October 22, 2014

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Former-school-counselor-priest-gets-reduced-in-5840611.php

Troy

A former School 14 guidance counselor and one-time Roman Catholic priest who was convicted in 2002 of inappropriately touching an 11-year-old boy and possessing a library of child pornography had his sexual offender registration status reduced after a hearing on Wednesday.

William J. Heim was moved from Level 3 status — the top level — to Level 2.

Heim, now 72, appeared before Judge Andrew Ceresia to ask for the reduction. Ceresia heard testimony that Heim had not re-offended since he was released from prison 10 years ago.

He also had complied with and attended all sexual offender courses required by parole and probation officials, according to court testimony.

Assistant District Attorney Roman Griffith argued that "He has not had that fear of going back to jail hanging over his head for only a couple of years. We argued he has not been truly tested and should stay at a level 3, which requires the person to report every 90 days whether he has moved or not."

Level 2 offenders are considered a moderate risk to reoffend and are not on a 90-day reporting schedule.

Level 3 offenders are considered high risk to reoffend, a designation Heim received in 2004.

Griffth also said that Heim had not previously taken responsibility for his actions, blaming them on the behavior of the child.

Heim took the stand during Wednesday's hearing and said he now realizes he was the adult and that his actions were inappropriate.

Besides the Rensselaer County charges, Heim also pleaded guilty in 2002 in Albany County to having a vast library of child pornography on his home computer in Delmar.

Heim accepted a deal of five years' probation for a single felony count of possessing child pornography at the time.

Heim had a "library of floppy disks'' that stored images of child pornography and child erotica, the bulk of which was downloaded from the Internet, prosecutors said at the time.

Heim was an associate pastor at St. Margaret Mary Church in Albany from 1968 to 1972.

Diocesan officials said at the time of his arrest that they had received no complaints about his behavior when he was a priest.