KANSAS CITY (MO)
The Kansas City Star
By TONY RIZZO And JUDY L. THOMAS
The Kansas City Star
As a priest, he absolved others of their sins in the anonymity of the confessional.
This afternoon, the Rev. Shawn Ratigan stood in the very public forum of a federal courtroom and confessed to some of his own.
Ratigan, 46, pleaded guilty to using five girls to produce or attempt to produce child pornography over several years while serving as pastor to congregations in the Northland and St. Joseph.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison. Prosecutors are expected to argue later for a sentence that ensures that Ratigan spends a significant portion of the rest of his life behind bars.
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