November 03, 2016 - 10:29 AM
EMMAUS, Pa. - A lawyer for a Roman Catholic priest in Pennsylvania says his client downloaded and viewed child porn but he says "the important thing" is the priest never tried to contact any children.
Attorney John Waldron says Monsignor John Stephen Mraz, of Bethlehem, has waived his right to a preliminary hearing on child pornography charges because he committed the crime.
Waldron tells The Allentown Morning Call (http://bit.ly/2f5r0uL) he expects the 66-year-old priest will plead guilty and the case won't go to trial.
Prosecutors say a friend of the priest's discovered a file labeled with a reference to nude boys while working on Mraz's computer. The friend contacted the Diocese of Allentown, which notified authorities.
Mraz was pastor of the Church of St. Ann in Emmaus. He has been removed from the ministry.
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Information from: The Morning Call, http://www.mcall.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2016