Vatican diplomat says child porn conviction just ‘a bump in the road’

A former Holy See diplomat has labelled his charges for possession and distribution of child pornography as a “bump in the road” during a Vatican tribunal on Saturday.

Monsignor Carlo Capella, 50, was found to have a collection of 40 to 55 photos, films and Japanese animation, featuring children aged 14-17 engaging in sexual acts on his mobile phone.

The New York Post reported the high-ranking priest was caught-up in a three-nation police investigation into child porn where it was found he allegedly uploaded content from a social networking site while at a place of worship in December of 2016 shortly after his transfer to Washington, US.

Capella was soon recalled from his duties in the US and has since been through a two-day trial where he pleaded with Tribunal President Giuseppe Dalla Torre for a more lenient sentence for his time of “fragility”.

While he considered his actions “vulgar” and “improper”, Capella still described the act as a moment of  “weakness” and said he was sorry for the pain he has caused the Holy See and diocese.

“I hope that this situation can be considered a bump in the road” and that the case could also could be useful for the church,” he said as he begged for a minimum sentence.

His plea was echoed by his attorney who claimed the pornography was not excessive and that Capella is now undergoing psychological treatment.

However, his calls for mercy were not answered with prosecutor Gian Piero Milana asking for a tougher sentence due to the vast criminal activity undertaken.

In the end the priest was sentenced to five years at the Vatican barracks and ordered to pay a fine of 5,000 euros ($7489).

However, this isn’t the end of the punishment for his crude act, with Capella now set for a canonical trial which could see him be defrocked.

This news follows the ongoing case of Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson who is facing charges of concealing child sex crimes.

The most senior member of the Catholic church was found guilty in May of failing to report the abuse of two alter boys by pedophile priest James Fletcher during the 1970s.

Read more: Archbishop Wilson’s lawyer argues he should be spared jail

Wilson appeared in a New South Wales court last week and will be sentenced on July 3.

On top of this priests in South Australia will now have to follow the Federal Government’s orders to report any potential child sex cases that are revealed in confession or face a fine of $10,000.

Other states and territories across the country are expected to follow suit.

Read more: Seal of confession more important than reporting child abuse: Priest

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