The Vatican tribunal on Saturday convicted a former Holy See diplomat and sentenced him to five years in prison for possessing and distributing child pornography in the first such trial of its kind inside the Vatican.
Monsignor Carlo Capella admitted to viewing the images during what he called a period of “fragility” and interior crisis sparked by a job transfer to the Vatican embassy in Washington. He apologized to his family and the Holy See, and appealed for leniency by saying the episode was just a “bump in the road” of a priestly vocation he loved and wanted to continue.
Tribunal President Giuseppe Dalla Torre read out the verdict after a two-day trial and sentenced Capella to five years of incarceration and a fine of 5,000 euros ($5,830.) Capella will serve the sentence in the Vatican barracks, where he has been held since his arrest earlier this year.
Prosecutor Gian Piero Milano had asked for a stiffer sentence due to what he called the “great” amount of material accessed, which included 40 to 55 photos, films and Japanese animation found on his cellphone, an iCloud and Tumblr account, which Capella viewed even after he had been recalled by the Vatican in August 2017.
Prosecutors and Vatican investigators said the material featured children ages 14 to 17 engaging in sexual acts.
Capella’s attorney disputed that Capella had distributed the material. He denied the amount of porn was excessive, and said his client had cooperated with investigators, repented and was seeking psychological help. – READ MORE
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