MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by David Clohessy on April 25, 2013
In 2011, when he was suspended, Archbishop Robert Carlson’s public relations team said Fr. William Vatterott was accused of “inappropriate electronic communications.” Now, Fr. Vatterrott has been charged with child porn.
According to BishopAccountability.org, at least eight other current or former local clerics have been accused of possessing child porn or showing porn to kids (Fr. James Beine, Fr. Bruce Forman, Fr. William Christensen, Fr. James Funke, Fr. James Patrick Grady, Fr. John Hess, Fr. Gerhardt Lehmkuhl and seminarian Nicholas Pinkston).
Yet a quick search of the archdiocesan website shows just three mentions of “child pornography” (and one was just added yesterday when charges against Fr. Vatterott were disclosed).
We hope that someday Catholic officials will stop using euphemisms like “inappropriate conduct” and “boundary violations” and start being more honest.
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