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  Priest Arrested for Downloading Child Porn Volunteered with Local Boy Scout Troop
Watch Video: Priest Volunteered with Local Boy Scout Troop

WHEC [New York]
March 15, 2005

NEWS 10NBC has learned new information about a local priest who admits to downloading child pornography on his church computer. Father Michael Volino is currently under house arrest. He's accused of receiving and possessing child porn from May of 2004 until his computer was seized in January. On Tuesday NEWS 10NBC learned that Volino spent time with a local Boy Scout troop and that he got a warning from the local diocese.

There are no allegations that Father Volino ever sexually assaulted a child and the leader of the local boy scout council tells NEWS 10NBC that while Father Volino did have close contact with a Boy Scout Troop, there have been no complaints that he did anything wrong. "We try to be very proactive in making sure youngsters are safe," said Larry Pritchard, Monroe County Boy Scout Troops Executive Scout.

Pritchard was told about Father Volino's connection to the Boy Scouts the day Volino was arrested. "We did some homework and he's never been a registered leader with us, but apparently he was involved with a Scout Troop as a participant for some time."

Pritchard says it happened when Father Volino was a priest at Saint Lawrence Church in Greece.

The Boy Scouts do background checks on all adults, but because Father Volino was not a registered helper, he did not get one.

Father Volino was arrested last Thursday. In court papers, he admitted to the FBI that he had what he called "sexual issues."

In 2002 the Diocese asked Volino to get counseling from Saint Lukes Institute in Maryland. One recommendation said that Volino should not be alone around children.

The Diocese says it failed to follow that recommendation but the church says it did warn the priest.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese tells NEWS 10NBC that when the Diocese became aware of the St. Luke’s Institute report, the church told Father Volino to never be alone with children. The Diocese also says Father Volino was always with an adult when he taught children once a week.

Larry Pritchard says adults are never allowed to be alone with scouts. He says they're received no complaints about father volino. "I think it reinforces for us the value of how we deliver our program because we have for along time made sure that our youngsters are safe."

NEWS 10NBC asked the diocese to sit down and talk with Bishop Clark but a spokesperson says the bishop can’t because this is an on-going legal case.

The diocese maintains that the evaluation from Saint Lukes did not give any finding that Father Volino was a danger to anyone.

 
 

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