Priest charged with possession of child porn

[proud2BlibKansan]

Source: Kansas City Star

Clay County authorities today charged a 45-year-old priest with three counts of possessing child pornography.

Shawn Francis Ratigan of Kansas City, North, was arrested by Jackson County deputies on Wednesday. He was taken into custody at the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist on Noland Road in Independence.

Bond was set at $200,000.

In a statement, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph said it was profoundly saddened to learn that Ratigan had been charged:

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/19/2887447/priest-charged-with-possession.html#ixzz1MplVgn83

[SpiralHawk]

1. Holy shit.

Is there no end to this eVil churchy crap?

[zazen]

2. clearly, the 60s ARE to blame, since he was born in 1966

[HereSince1628]

3. It must be hard to be a Catholic these days...

with all the sex-scandels trusting a priest is getting to be like trusting a governor or a senator.

[wellst0nev0ter]

10. Not If You Just Walk Away

Though for me, it's not the scandals, but the sheer hypocrisy and lack of humility.

[SoapBox]

11. Super-Duper Ditto!

[HereSince1628]

19. Are you still a Catholic if you walk away?

Just wondering how that sectarian identity works.

[wellst0nev0ter]

34. Well, I'm Still Baptized As A Catholic

Doesn't mean I have to attend their services or give them any of my money or support, though ;)

[lbrtbell]

25. I walked away from the church 2 decades ago - n/t

[Mojorabbit]

31. Same here. nt

[liberalla]

21. That was my first thought too!

They will find some way to twist the reasoning...

[lbrtbell]

24. As a Gen X'er

I'm even more offended, because it means this bastard has been doing stuff like this for decades before he was finally caught.

Thank God for a malfunctioning computer...and a computer user too stupid to hide his tracks.

[xfundy]

4. Interesting that the comments at the story link are closed

just as they are at many cancervative sites, when they just don't care what anyone else thinks. Protect the church, no matter what it does!

[JBoy]

5. WTF? Let me understand the timeline from the article -

Dec 16th (last year), the priest was having computer problems, and a technician found the child porn images. The computer is turned over to the Church diocese.

Dec 17th - Church officials go to his house when he doesn't show up for mass, and find him unconscious.

The Church then makes a copy of the images, and turns over the laptop to the family, who destroys it.

On Friday (last Friday?) - a disk is given to cops. 5 months later?!?!




What. the. fuck.

How was this not an attempted cover-up????

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Good question

[Spacemom]

7. St. Joseph said it was profoundly saddened to learn that Ratigan had been charged

How about being profoundly saddened by the children who were exploited to make the child porn?

[lbrtbell]

26. ^ THIS!

Freakin' church is always more concerned about protecting itself than protecting children. :mad:

[blackdem76]

8. This is very sad. n/t

[yellerpup]

9. My ex-brother-in-law was cashiered out of a

prestigious Catholic university for standing up in favor of a proposed gay student union. He's fine now, retired with an undisclosed sum he won in a lawsuit against them. And now, the church is 'profoundly saddened' that a priest uses kiddie porn. Guess that doesn't rise to the level of immediate dismissal the way standing up for GLTB kids did for my old friend.

Edited to add: :kick: & Rec.

[Critters2]

12. Why is anyone still Catholic?! nt

[nk41keys]

14. Why is anyone still Catholic?

Because we understand the need for forgiveness. We also realize that we are all sinners, and we try not to judge...

[Leftist Agitator]

15. "...we try not to judge... "

And the church's stance on homosexuality is what again?

[joeglow3]

33. Read the official position

You might be surprised.

[Hepburn]

16. Sorry, but...

...any church which intentionally hides child abuse is judging ~~ and in a VERY sick and immoral manner. And, yes, this is a judgment about the Catholic Church.

JMHO

[liberalla]

20. What? Has forgiveness been patented? trademarked?

Forgiveness is not owned by the Catholic Church.

[lbrtbell]

27. The church is too forgiving of the wrong things

A major reason why I renounced the Catholic religion. IMHO, forgiveness must be earned, not just granted after you say a set number of Hail Mary's on the rosary.

[rug]

17. Ut Unum Sint

Plus, I think Calvin was full of shit.

[Politicalboi]

13. Don't those children

Know what "they" do to priests? :sarcasm:

[Soylent Brice]

18. shocking!!!

:sarcasm:

[liberalla]

22. Point of distinction here:

He did not only *possess* the child pornography.

HE TOOK THE PHOTOS HIMSELF !

"Authorities allege that Ratigan took the photographs around churches and schools where he had worked..."

"The images included pictures taken up the skirts of girls under the age of 12, according to court documents."

and

"Police said they have identified several minor females who were photographed and are interviewing them."

It's bad enough to view and have child pornography, but to also be the person who does the actual physical crime against the child and take the photos? That's another level of criminal behavior in my mind.

[lbrtbell]

28. That stood out to me, too

Imagine being a child and having that creepy, hairy ape forcing you to pose for pictures, and Lord knows what else.

Do we need to arm our kids with pepper gas to keep them safe? :cry:

[mackerel]

29. Thankfully we have separation between Church and State

here. In Ireland the abuse went on for 70 years before survivors were able to get the government to run a commission on the widespread abuse.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cliss]

30. "but we're no different"

There was a radio program about 6 months ago on PBS. The narrator was interviewing a Catholic priest(?) not sure if he was. But, he said "we're no different than other churches. Just check the Mormons, I've heard things about the muslims, and then there are the Jews".

I'm paraphrasing, but that's pretty much what he said. Sheesh.

[LiberalFighter]

32. Maybe they should reduce the pay of the priests?

[Redford]

35. I bet he doesn't get raptured tomorrow...

just sayin.....