A Catholic priest was indicted on child pornography charges in St. Louis is the latest scandal to hit the church.
A federal grand jury indicted Rev. William F. Vatterott for child pornography on Wednesday. The indictment says he had at least two images of a naked, underage boy, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
He is expected to appear in federal court next week. His attorney could not be reached for comment.
Vatterott is charged with possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000, Reuters reported.
The 36-year-old was ordained in 2003 and, in 2008, became the pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in St. Louis, Missouri.
The St. Louis Archdiocese placed Vatterott on administrative leave on June 29, 2011, upon learning of a complaint filed with police.
Police would not detail what the complaint contained, but Monsignor Richard Hanneke released a statement shortly thereafter, saying that Vatterott was accused of inappropriate correspondence with two teenagers. The Monsignor also said that Vatterott was accused of being involved with underage drinking and "other inappropriate behaviors."
The initial police complaint triggered an investigation, which ultimately found images of child pornography in his possession.
The archdiocese has cooperated fully with the investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Wednesday's indictment is another blow to the Catholic Church's image.
These charges follow a Kansas City priest pleading guilty last August to producing child pornography. The bishop of the Kansas City diocese was later convicted for failing to report the suspected abuse of a minor by not reporting to law enforcement that the priest had the pornographic images.
People will be watching to see how the Catholic Church responds to these latest allegations.
