Radio Host, Former Priest, Indicted On Child Porn Charges

San Francisco Chronicle:

Bernie Ward, a popular San Francisco radio talk show host and former Catholic priest, has been indicted on federal child pornography charges, authorities said today.

Ward, 56, surrendered to federal authorities earlier today but the specifics of the allegations against him are under seal, authorities said.

Read the whole story: San Francisco Chronicle

Comments

[ang4ever]

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The "research" was 4 years ago ? Why would you leave that kind of material in your computer ? This is not the first time a pedophile use that lame excuse " doing research". Priest are known pedophiles, and for years the Church looked the other way, and denied all these charges. I am not surprised !
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Maybe Bill Donohue, the Head of Catholic League will pay more attention to this CANCER in the Church, rather using the Church power to boycott movies like The Golden Compass.
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I remain Catholic, but these incidents just make it hard for me to believe that "priests" as the representative of the Church.

[snruB]

That pic + Former profession = Sounds about right

[Copper]

Ok let's say he was doing research. He must have just forgot to remove them about ...... a thousand times.
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Hey, all you conspiracy theorists. I can't imagine a San Francisco jury indicting anyone for porn. But kiddie porn, at least you still have some standards.
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And what's all the fuss about Craig, I though you libs thought that was OK? Two guys in a stall having sex, ........is that bad?

[Counterglow]

Aw, c'mon. You have to let us have a little fun with this one. Take a good, long look at this guy. Now tell me strait-faced you'd leave your 10-year-old, cute-as-a-button nephew alone in a room with him.

I'm sorry. I know it isn't fair, but just the picture of this dude has every gaydar detector on the continent going off like a bottle rocket at a high school reunion.

[farseer]

The moral of the story: don't view, or download, child porn. Believe that it exists. You don't have to see it yourself. This is true even if you're just doing research. (We don't know if this guy's story that he was just researching is true.)

Furthermore, by now, thanks to Peter Townsherd and maybe this guy, everybody knows that research **does not** justify viewing or downloading child porn. So, that particular line of defense will no longer work -- at least for newer offenses.

[NickfromCali]

Do remember it is "innocent until proven guilty". I know you regressives are laughing too hard to remember that (I expect that tomorrow's radio shows featuring Limbaugh, Hannity, and Sewage...I mean Savage will consist of three hours) but please remember it is the American way

[amanda85]

A former Catholic priest who likes little boys...

What are the odds? ;)

[Libsrule]

I don't think he is guilty of anything but a one time bad judgement legally.

Others have done the same thing, and in fact you can actually go to the government if you are the right person and study child porn to your heart's content for any number of reasons. Book, legal research, whatever you can come up with and present some sort of paperwork to back you up. And Viola! You are in kiddie porn heaven.

This smacks of political intervention. He looks at a couple of pics YEARS ago, there is no CP on his computer, no indication he has ever shown any interest in this sort of thing before or since and suddenly the Feds decide he's a dangerous sex offender, right before the run up to the elections. Get rid of the most vocal opponent to this criminal administration and the only liberal voice.

Yeah sure they decided he is a criminal.

Shrub lies about...we­ll EVERYTHING and there is that nut job percentage who will defend him to the death but this guy look st something years ago and he's a sex offender and can't be telling the truth according to the feds and the righwing loonies on this board?

[TheWesternBreed]

He doesn't fit into one of the neat categories. I don't know anything about the charged offense, but I know that Bernie Ward is left, Left, LEFT-wing in his politics, and if he was ever a Catholic priest it was like a past-life experience, it was so long ago: from whatever I've heard of his chat, he is bitterly hostile to the institutional Catholic Church and the doctrinal conservatism of John Paul II and the current pope. He's one of those ultra-combative, don't-give-an-inch Irish-American guys, and if in fact he was only researching a book, I don't expect him to go out without an enormous fight.

[ohiomark]

Research? yeah right. Hey Bernie, why not try the "entrapment" card.

Should we expect anything less out of San Fran-sicko?

[SaneLiberal]

More Rovian handiwork, I suspect.

[BobC46]

He is so filled with bloviating and vitriolic hatred for conservatives, evangelicals, Jews and Israel, not to mention GW, that he fully deserves this. I don't care whether he was "researching a book" or not. I've been awaiting this day for ten years, waiting to see this vile man given a taste of his own medicine.

[geobushono]

I started listening to Bernie 25 years ago and I think this indictment is political.
Having said that, such a high profile Liberal gadfly is red meat to the 'others' and this lapse in judgement is troubling on many levels.
Good luck Bernie. I hope you have a believable defense. gb

[wndrwrthg]

Holy Shit! Bernie of all people. From what I have read so far this prosecution stinks. What a novel way to remove one of the most vocal and credible voices against this corrupt administration from the air. Even if proven false the stigma this will carry may silence him. Just the fact that he has been indicted will turn many against him, no matter what the facts are. If this is a malicious prosecution being used to silence him, then anyone who raises their voice in opposition should be very afraid.

[hydenorhare]

Geezuz.

This Ward guy was always creepy every time they let him on TV. LIBERAL talk show host. Figures.

And there's Cantwell's aide and a fake 13 year old.

What's with all you Liberals?

Just because you have a no-ethics philosophy, doesn't mean you can act that way.

Heh Heh.