Former Canadian Bishop Sentenced to 15 Months in Jail
Former Canadian Bishop Raymond Lahey was recently given a prison sentence of 15 months in jail over child pornography-related charges.
However, Raymond Lahey will not have to serve any more jail time since he has already served eight months in prison. The judge serving his case will give Lahey two-for-one credit for his current jail time served.
Lahey will be on probation for 24 months due to his crime. He will also face a series of strict conditions, including submitting a DNA sample and registering as a sex offender. He will also have to allow searches of his personal and office computers when required by the local authorities.
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Lahey’s lawyer Michael Edelson gave a statement to the media after his client was sentenced. "It was exactly the right sentence."
Edelson also said that the sentence will mark Lahey for the rest of his life. Edelson made it known that Lahey would not be speaking to the media and would not comment on what his immediate plans would be.
In 2009, Lahey was found with 600 pornographic images on his laptop during an airport security check in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The collection included pornographic photos featuring Catholic imagery, including young boys wearing crucifixes and rosary beads engaged in sex acts. A man was also seen in an image dressed as a monk hitting a young boy's bare buttocks with a paddle.
There were also graphic images of bondage and torture found on Lahey’s laptop."They are graphic in the extreme," Crown attorney David Elhadad said during Lahey's prison sentencing.
Last May, Lahey pleaded guilty to one count of importing child pornography. He voluntarily went to prison for his crime.
Later on in December of 2011, Lahey issued an apology to the courts. "I am truly sorry for what I have done," he said. "I have always believed that people should take full responsibility for their actions, and I certainly want to take full responsibility for my own."
"I know that I’ve done wrong," he added, saying that his possession of child pornography goes against his moral principles. "I have come to recognize that I became addicted to Internet pornography on a very indiscriminate basis."
The Vatican previously announced it would impose its own disciplinary measures against Lahey, but has yet to do so.
Last May, the Vatican Press Office issued a statement on the matter: "The Catholic Church condemns sexual exploitation in all its forms, especially when perpetrated against minors."
"Although the civil process has run its course, the Holy See will continue to follow the canonical procedures in effect for such cases, which will result in the imposition of the appropriate disciplinary or penal measures," it added.
