Another Priest, Another Sex Crime Charge

[DeSwiss]

Sydney priest 'groomer' caught on webcam, court told

The Sydney Morning Herald
Dylan Welch and Georgina Robinson
August 14, 2009


Accused ... Robert Fuller.


A 54-year-old Sydney Catholic priest has been arrested and charged after allegedly attempting to groom detectives who were masquerading as a 13-year-old girl, sending them a series of sexually explicit chat-room messages. Police allege they posed as a 13-year-old girl on the internet to catch Robert Fuller, a priest of three decades standing and the parish priest of All Saints at Liverpool for six years. Prior to that he was the parish priest at a Punchbowl parish. They allege he sent chat-room messages between July and August, and even tried to arrange a meeting to engage in sexual activity. Police arrested Father Fuller in a car park at Parramatta, in western Sydney, at 12.30pm yesterday, and later charged him with grooming a person under the age of 16.

He was refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court today, where he sat silently throughout the hearing. Magistrate Peter Miszalski, police prosecutor Sergeant Kai Penninkilampi, and defence lawyer Greg Walsh all agreed it was a strong case. In opposing bail, Sergeant Penninkilampi said Father Fuller being on bail could pose a risk to the community. He also said it didn’t matter if Father Fuller lived away from children. "The defendant has shown an absolute preparedness to travel wherever and whenever to contact (the presumed girl) and I would submit it doesn’t matter where he lives." In a police document tendered during the hearing, it was alleged that, between July 21 and yesterday, Father Fuller had communicated with a person on an online messenger service, Yahoo7 Messenger, who he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

In fact the other person was an investigator from the Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit. Father Fuller used two names during the conversations - "rr" and "rogers_2468" the document stated. There were a total of 25 conversations between the priest and the investigator, the court heard. "During the communications the accused was sexually explicit with the (investigator) with a view to grooming and procuring 'her' for sexual activity," the document stated.

The accused masturbated in front a of a web camera and encouraged the presumed girl to masturbate, the document read. "The accused ... states he is concerned about getting into trouble because of her young age. "During five of the conversations the (accused) activated his web camera and his face was captured by investigators." Eventually a meeting was arranged with Father Fuller near Parramatta Park and he was arrested by police nearby.

Mr Walsh said that Father Fuller would not present a risk to the community and could live in a holiday apartment owned by the Catholic Church in Terrigal, while he went through the court proceedings. Another priest would live with him and no internet connection would be allowed at the flat, Mr Walsh said. The church was also willing to offer a $25,000 surety on Father Fuller's behalf.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-priest-groomer-caught-on-webcam-court-told-20090814-ek4t.html?page=-1">MORE

- I wonder if they mention the holiday apartments (owned by The Church), and the bail-bond-surety get out of jail-free program in their priest recruitment brochures????

If they're not then they need to start doing it, because they're going through priests like there's no tomorrow (yuck, yuck)......
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DeSwiss


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"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent,
persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." ~ John F. Kennedy

[UrbScotty]

1. ...and another excuse to bash

the religion which counts Dennis Kucinich, the Kennedys, Joe Biden, and countless others among its ranks - while ignoring the many positive aspects of Catholicism and sweeping allegations against people who happen not to be priests.

:wtf: