Priest jailed for child porn

A Catholic priest in New York state was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

The case was the latest in a series of scandals for the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, which has been severely damaged by revelations about paedophile priests.

The US Attorney in Buffalo, New York, said in a statement the case came to light after Michael Volino, 42, contacted an information technology help line for the Diocese of Rochester in January to report problems with his computer.

"As the IT specialist began his exam, he noticed what appeared to be child pornography in the temporary Internet files of the computer," the statement said.

The technician reported the find to diocese officials, who called police.

Volino, formerly a priest at St John the Evangelist Church in Greece, New York, pleaded guilty in May to charges of possessing child pornography.

The charges carried a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The Diocese of Rochester issued a statement saying the case had been painful for the community and said it would take full note of the court's comments and recommendations.

"We pray that the process of justice will in some way assuage that pain and further the cause of healing," it said.

The Diocese said it would review Volino's case and forward materials on his status to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, which will determine his future as a priest.

"Rev. Volino will remain on administrative leave and cannot engage in any public ministry," it said.

The US Catholic Church faces hundreds of lawsuits involving priests charged with paedophilia since the national scandal first erupted in Massachusetts in 2002.