A priest in the US sentenced to jail for keeping child porn

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – A retired catholic priest in the US was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornography.

As “AP” reported James T. Beighlie, 72, in St. Louis used images to make PowerPoint presentations.

James T. Beighlie pleaded guilty in October to two counts of possession of child pornography.

He was also ordered to pay $4,750 to one of this victims, and another $22,000 for a fund that will go toward other child victims of crimes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang said Beighlie had thousands of images and videos that he used for the PowerPoint presentations, which he revised several times.

He had been using child pornography since at least 2008, she said. The prosecutor’s office has not indicated that Beighlie showed the presentations to anyone.

“All I can say is that I am ashamed and deeply remorseful,” Beighlie told the judge.

A church investigation began in May 2021, after co-workers at the Congregation of the Mission in St. Louis found compromising images of Beighlie on a church printer.

An attorney for the church contacted the FBI after a private IT support company found what appeared to be videos of minors engaging in sex acts.

Beighlie was a Vincentian priest who most recently was an associate pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in St. Louis.