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The Panevėžys Regional Prosecutor’s Office has completed a pre-trial investigation and transferred a criminal case to court, in which a priest from the Aukštaitija region is accused of possessing photos and videos of pornographic content depicting minors.
Rokiškis dean Eimantas Novikas said that the entire community of priests deeply regrets the act of the cleric: “As if there were a small crown, it is such an unpleasant surprise. Why did our brother do this? We have no answers… He has been removed from the priesthood since Monday and will no longer be a vicar. Until the court hears the case, it has not been suspended, it has just been sent to the monastery to repent ”, commented the dean about the unenviable situation. The young clergyman, involved in child pornography, served in the Rokiškis Deanery for the fourth year.
Law enforcement officers launched a pretrial investigation against this cleric in another investigation into similar crimes. Initially, it was established that a priest from the Diocese of Šiauliai shared pornographic videos and photos with other people through the social media application Messenger. Among the recipients with whom he shared pornography was a parish priest belonging to the diocese of Panevėžys.
Officers from the Panevėžys County Police Commissariat Major Crimes Investigation Board of the Criminal Police conducted the pre-trial investigation separately, led by the Prosecutor of the First Prosecution Division of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office by Panevėžys Ričardas Juozainis when we have the information.
During the pre-trial investigation, many pornographic videos and photos were found on the computer of the cleric from the Aukštaitija region. After reviewing them, experts from the Office of the Inspector of Journalistic Ethics found that at least 53 electronic files contained pornographic videos and photos depicting children under 18 or depicting people as children. Among these records on the priest’s computer were 31 photos, which are included in Interpol’s database of child sexual exploitation.
According to the prosecutor R. Juozainis, who led the pre-trial investigation, the defendant admits his guilt. He said he knew downloading and storing pornographic videos and photos depicting children is prohibited and regrets doing so. The Curia of the Diocese of Panevėžys was informed about the pre-trial investigation carried out against this cleric.
The Penal Code establishes a fine or prison of up to 2 years for the possession of pornographic content that represents a child or presents a person as a child.
GR and the Panevėžys Prosecutor’s Office report.
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