Indian priest held in US for possessing child porn on phone

INDIA/UNITED STATES
India Today

A 47-year-old Indian priest has been arrested in the US state of Florida on charges of possessing child pornography, with authorities saying he asked a 14-year-old boy to help him delete about 40 pornographic images of young boys from his phone.

Jose Palimattom, a visiting priest from India, was arrested on Monday on charges of possession of pornography and distributing it to a minor.

He is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of USD 10,000 bail.

Palimottom is a priest of the Franciscan Province of St Thomas the Apostle in India and began serving a two-year residency in December 2014 at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in West Palm Beach, a parish of the Diocese of Palm Beach.

The priest has allegedly told authorities that he had been reprimanded at his church in India for being “involved with a minor male,” but the incident was not reported to police.

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