Former Waterford Pastor Due in Court Today on Child Porn Charge

By Greg Smith
Norwich Bulletin
July 8, 2012

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x1197884144/Former-Waterford-pastor-due-in-court-today-on-child-porn-charge#axzz207kKoiso


New London, Conn. — The former Waterford pastor who police said confessed an addiction to child pornography is due for an appearance today in New London's Part A court for serious felonies.

The Rev. Dennis Carey, 65, turned himself in to state police July 3, a week after state and Waterford police confronted Carey with a search warrant at the rectory of the St. Paul in Chains Church on Rope Ferry Road in Waterford. Carey resigned as pastor of the church a day after police seized computer hardware from the rectory.

Police said a forensic analysis turned up 338 files of suspected child pornography on two desktop computers, two laptop computers, a USB drive and an external hard drive. Police said it included 275 images and 63 videos of boys and girls younger than 16 in sexual situations. Police said several graphic videos included children between 2 and 3 years old.

The search warrant was the culmination of an investigation into the trading of child pornography that had started months earlier in California.

Contacted by AOL, detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Los Angeles had traced suspected child pornography sent in emails to the rectory and contacted authorities in Connecticut, according to the arrest warrant affidavit in the case.

Admission of guilt

When confronted by police on June 8, police said, "Carey stated that he believed he knew why the police were at his house with a search warrant and further explained that he had some inappropriate material on his computer."

Carey, ordained in 1998, told police he first viewed child pornography two years ago.

"Father Carey stated that he has an addiction to the child pornography and has tried to stop viewing it many times in the past," according to the arrest warrant affidavit in the case.

Carey denied ever having sexual contact with a child.

Carey is represented by attorney Ronald Stevens and is free on $100,000 bond. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant State's Attorney Theresa Anne Ferryman. First-degree possession of child pornography is a Class B felony that, with a conviction, carries a minimum of five years in prison.