Retired priest under investigation for child pornography, Archdiocese of St. Louis says

By Erin Heffernan
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
August 27, 2018

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St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson takes media questions about an archdiocese decision to open its files to the Missouri Attorney General's Office in its investigation into clergy sex crimes, during a news conference at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. Auxiliary Bishop Mark Rivituso is at left.

A retired Roman Catholic priest with the Archdiocese of St. Louis is being investigated in connection to child pornography, the diocese announced Monday. 

Church officials were informed Friday that a retired priest had been discovered viewing what appeared to be child pornography and they immediately contacted police and the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, the archdiocese announced in a statement.

Police seized the priest's computer, the statement said. 

An archdiocese spokesman said Monday that he was not aware of any charges filed in the case, but did not immediately release more details about the investigation, including the identity of the priest, where he was living or which police department is handling the investigation.

The discovery comes days after Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced Thursday that he would launch an investigation into possible sex crimes within the Roman Catholic Church. The Archdiocese of St. Louis has publicly offered to open its files for the attorney general.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis is the 42nd largest diocese in the country with about 510,000 Catholics in 11 counties surrounding the St. Louis metro area.