Canadian Catholic Bishop Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge

By Ron Csillag
Religion News Service

TORONTO (RNS) A former Roman Catholic bishop in Nova Scotia has pleaded guilty to trying to import child pornography after he was arrested in 2009 returning from a trip to Thailand.

Appearing in an Ottawa court on Wednesday (May 4), Raymond Lahey, 70, pleaded guilty to a single charge of "possession (of child pornography) for the purposes of importation." A second charge of possession is expected to be withdrawn as part of the plea deal.

Lahey is due to return to court on May 26 to set a sentencing date.

Lahey was arrested in September, 2009 at Ottawa's airport after a trip to Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. A check of his laptop computer and other devices revealed more than 500 images of child pornography involving boys.

In an agreed statement of facts before the court, the images were categorized as "mastery and slavery," humiliation of young boys, torture of young boys, sex acts between boys, and degradation of young boys.

Lahey served for six years as bishop of the diocese in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and resigned the day after he was charged.

A month before his arrest, Lahey had brokered a $15 million settlement for victims of sexual abuse by priests of the diocese of Antigonish dating back to 1950. He was not directly implicated in the allegations.

"Recognizing the confusion and anger that this case has engendered among many of the faithful, we underscore our pastoral concern for those who have experienced great pain as a result of these events," said a statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Comments

[St Juan Bautista]

07:37 AM on 05/07/2011

Every soul on this planet is on the same position- you can't judge no one but you soul- GOD THE FATHER is no't judging any one- he give all the judgement to his son- his son is you- read jn 3:16 HE GIVE YOU all the power and wisdom to save you soul- salvation is in your hearth- all you have to do is beleive in you soul- as for catholic religion- the THRINITY is the only truth word on it- and they can't splaind it- FATHER YOU AND HOLY CREACION- or my be they hiring from man kind- i m here to tell the truth- the only chace out here is lissening all religions on the planet have GOD THE FATHER- cut up in peices- PROPHEHT- SPIRITUALITY -MARTIRDOM- KARMA- LOVE- FAITH- AND HOPE = FATHER lets put it back together- keep in tocht hope this help you LOVE AND PEACE

[Ioan Lightoller]

11:27 PM on 05/06/2011

This is just disgusting. And yet, this is a church that works to keep marriage equality off the books. Can you say "hypocrisy". I have seen too much of this over the years. These people need to be rounded up and locked up. I just found out tonight a dear friend was abused by a priest repeatedly when little. Something must be done about this--and the pope blaming gay priests for this scandal.

[Olethea]

09:04 PM on 05/06/2011

Of course he did. But in his defense, it was scrambled on that monitor.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

06:23 PM on 05/06/2011

Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.

[iLdoRight]

05:55 PM on 05/06/2011

I heard on a national news program the other day there were 4,000 "priests" involved in sex abuse situations and around 10,000 victims, I think it was. This is an organization that gets to elevate someone to "sainthood"?

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

06:22 PM on 05/06/2011

It apparently works something like the RNC......if you avoid getting caught, you get the promotion to the next level of crook-dom.

[mp905]

05:06 PM on 05/06/2011

It says something about the depth of the problem when the man the Church chooses to broker a settlement with victims of sexual abuse by priests is himself a pedophile.

[ThinkCreeps]

07:06 PM on 05/06/2011

Set a thief to pay off victims of mugging. Or something...

[Scott Thomas]

03:29 PM on 05/06/2011

God works in such mysterious and illegal ways.

[silverspirit2011]

01:57 PM on 05/06/2011

Lets not just focus on the Catholics people.

Plenty of baptists ministers have been found kiddy fiddling too. And Jehovah Witness elders, Methodists, et al.

This is a problem of the organization of the community of Christians, not one of just the Roman catholic clergy.

[LintLass]

12:59 PM on 05/08/2011

True enough, though the level of institutional abuse, denial and coverup, not to mention scapegoating victims, does actually make things *worse.* It's not just the 'sinners' it's the whole culture of abusing the victims and witnesses and bystanders and community over and over and over again, particularly while the same church attacks others' rights *outside* it.

Yes, it happens in other churches, but how it's *treated* does seem particularly galling.

[LintLass]

01:24 PM on 05/08/2011

And, btw, let's focus on the Catholics when it's about Catholic crimes and coverups.... Bastiches in other churches, sure, let's go get them, too, but I'm tired of them being an excuse for Catholics to say, 'Don't look at us, look over *there!*'

Doesn't change what *they* do.

[silverspirit2011]

05:25 PM on 05/08/2011

No, in other churches, they deny it ever happens. The problem is, on this site, its always Catholics getting it in the neck - when have you seen the Methodist crimes reported? Or the Mormons?

In fact, I want more stories like that, because I think that the whole thing is primarily used by the protestants, to portray it is a Catholic problem only, not a religious problem.

And yes, as an atheist, I want it to show all the protestants what their leaders are actually like. After all, the Catholics have left the church in droves, lets do the same for the rest of them.... ;-)

[naschkatze]

12:36 PM on 05/06/2011

Sorry bunch.

[Waltfl]

12:17 PM on 05/06/2011

"It is just a childish prank" (Kurt Krenn, Bishop of St. Poelten, Austria in 2004, after police found tons of KP on computers in his office)

[LintLass]

01:27 PM on 05/06/2011

Pardon if I don't think they have a wholesome idea of what 'childishness' is about.

[Peter Baksa]

11:28 AM on 05/06/2011

It is a sad day when a corporation seems to consistently create or attract unhealthy leadership that preys on the weak using god, Jesus or the church as a cloak to cover up the dagger. Pun intended. Having said this - a finger pointing at a star is not the star. The Point of Power book takes ancient theological text and cross references common denominators with the research of Steven Hawking and other quantum researchers. It shows how God / the universe actually does work and cuts through all the haze so the reader can actually begin to see what spirituality is without all the child's play. God is not Santa and if he is how can one's faith have any strength to it. Blind faith does work but why not learn how it all actually works. Consciousness based in anything but true faith does not allow for the individual to manifest his/her desires. You cannot lie to the same source that creates worlds - that is just silly. The whole point of religion is for it to be a vehicle to spirituality. The Point of Power @ Amazon.com or go to Peterbaksa.com for friends and family.

[vonric]

11:14 AM on 05/06/2011

a good friend of mine, a 'colleauge in healing' from the effects of childhood sexual abuse, has dealt with having been the focus of childhood porn by his father, a cop. He has healed a great deal over the years, but remains aware that there may still be images of him somewhere/everywhere that satisfy the purient interests...

The ownership and making of childhood pornography is a devastating twist of childhood sexual abuse. I wonder what cushy platform int he Vatican THIS bishop will get to 'roadmap' him out of this hot spot. Maybe he can share an office with Cardinal Law?

[maxben]

11:30 AM on 05/06/2011

Actually, he plead guilty and begged to be thrown in jail as quickly as possible (he refused anyone who wanted to give him bail money).

[byteb]

11:44 AM on 05/06/2011

gee, what a guy.

[LintLass]

01:28 PM on 05/06/2011

Makes me wonder what he expected to find waiting in Nova Scotia. :)

[Cranmer1549]

10:32 AM on 05/06/2011

When is the everyday Catholic going to say "enough is enough"? I stopped go to the Catholic Church precisely because my wife and I decided that we couldn't, in good conscience, allow our children to be around Catholic priests anymore. Seriously, if you put money into the plate, it's going to be used to fund the worldwide protection of ped.op.hile priests and bishops.

[vonric]

11:10 AM on 05/06/2011

kudos to you for an ethical and pragmatic action

[Cranmer1549]

12:11 PM on 05/06/2011

Thank you. As far as my wife and I were concerned, we had no other choice. We are very happy now in the Episcopal Church.

[farmilyman]

10:26 AM on 05/06/2011

What is it with clergy and children? Why not women?

[ladiesbane]

11:02 AM on 05/06/2011

Some priests have affairs with adults, but adults have the power of consent and refusal, so there is much less chance of force, trauma, intimidation, manipulation, abuse of power, etc. Adults are also in a position to avoid unwanted advances, and don't have to convince someone else if they are being abused, making them unappealing targets. Pedophiles are not attracted to adults, but I think some priests who might have had normal sex lives, if not for their vows, abuse children because they can get away with it. Perhaps others go into the priesthood to purge themselves of their sin and find out it's nourished by the Church. Whatever the psychology, the behavior is inexcusable and uncorrectable. They all need to be locked up forever, or fry.

[Grada3784]

12:49 PM on 05/06/2011

That doesn't get as much publicity is all.

[marind]

10:18 AM on 05/06/2011

Pedofiles are generally considered people whose emotional development is so stunted that they are unable to relate sexually to another adult. Consequently, it's probably not surprising that you find a lot of pedofilia in the RCC.

How normal is it for a healthy, sex-hormoned young adult male to renounce sex for the rest of his life? It just isn't normal. No wonder the RCC priesthood attracts men who are emotionally/sexually immature.

[17andlife]

01:45 PM on 05/06/2011

very good perspective. i think this idea further demonstrates that rehabilitation is possible. it may take a long time and be hard on the patient, but i think in the long run it would be best.

[Pembrokelib]

06:31 PM on 05/06/2011

Rehabilitation is impossible according to psychologists. They were born pedophiles and nothing can change that. It has been tried many times without success.

[INVet]

03:18 PM on 05/06/2011

A close family member who was a RCC priest said the same thing - celbacy not healthy nor natural.

[marind]

03:44 PM on 05/06/2011

Interesting. Was he still a priest?