FLORIDA
National Catholic Reporter
Catholic News Service | Jan. 7, 2015
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. An Indian priest faced an obscenity charge after asking a teenage boy to help him delete images of child pornography from his cellphone.
Franciscan Fr. Jose Palimattom was jailed Monday after admitting he asked a 14-year-old boy to help delete various files on his phone and that the image showed up during the purge.
Police said he also told them he had been reprimanded by his superiors in Franciscan Province of St. Thomas the Apostle in India for being involved with a boy, but that the incident was not reported to law enforcement authorities.
The Palm Beach diocese said Palimattom began serving at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in West Palm Beach in December after being screened. The diocese said he had been certified for ministry by provincial authorities in India.
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