Priest accused of having child porn faces new charges

Associated Press
February 21, 2020

https://apnews.com/588aa71215aa91b980d6f037d597f3c6

A Cleveland-area Roman Catholic priest arrested in December was accused of several new charges, including sex trafficking involving a minor, federal prosecutors said Friday.

A criminal complaint filed in federal court also charged the Rev. Robert McWilliams with receiving or distributing child pornography and sexual exploitation of children.

Federal investigators said in a court document that McWilliams, 39, would pretend to be a female on social media and entice boys to send sexually explicit photographs and videos. He also met with a boy on several occasions and paid him for sex, prosecutors said.

A message seeking comment on the new charges was left with his public defender.

Authorities arrested McWilliams in December at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Strongsville, where he was a parochial vicar at the church’s school. The church then placed him on administrative leave.

McWilliams in January pleaded not guilty to 21 child pornography-related counts. He has not made any statements since his arrest.

Bishop Nelson Perez said in a statement after the arrest that “all of us feel tremendous emotions of shock, disappointment and confusion.”