The district court in Osnabrück has sentenced a former Catholic pastor to two years' imprisonment for possession of more than 6,000 child pornographic images.

The 58-year-old clergyman also has to pay a total of 10,000 euros in monthly installments to the Osnabrück child protection agency, be looked after by a men's counseling center and continue his outpatient psychotherapy. The judgment pronounced on Wednesday is not yet final.

Last November, the files with images of sexual abuse of children on various devices were found on the premises of the former pastor of an Osnabrück parish. The accused regretted his actions, the judge said. One reason for downloading the pictures from the Internet was professional overload. "But he is also aware that this is not an excuse, and you have to say very clearly that it is also not an excuse for such behavior," the judge said. The accused confessed, helped to investigate the crime and went into therapy.

Discovered by accident

The knowledge of the deeds of the popular pastor caused great consternation in the community and beyond. According to information from the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung", the child pornographic material was accidentally discovered by a photo service provider when the pastor wanted to print out recordings from a data carrier.

The public was excluded from the hearing for the duration of the interrogation and for the pleadings of the lawyer and the public prosecutor. The sexual needs and preferences that were discussed belonged to the defendant's private sphere, the protection of which was more important than the public interest, the judge said.

According to the court, the images were mainly so-called posing shots, which showed boys and girls who were scantily or not clad in provocative positions. In a few cases, sexual acts on the children were also shown.

Downloaded from the Internet

The judge emphasized that the police found no evidence that the priest was involved in the production or distribution of such images. He only downloaded the pictures from the Internet: "In this respect, it's only about the possession of child pornographic material, not about its distribution." The investigators also found pornographic images of adults in a much smaller number.

Immediately after the verdict was announced, the defendant's lawyer declared his waiver of appeal. The public prosecutor's office responsible for sexual offenses in Hanover must first examine the verdict, said the prosecutor.

The minister has not been on duty since the case became known. According to a spokesman for the diocese, this will remain the case for the time being. As soon as the judgment becomes final, all information will be handed over to the responsible office in the Vatican. There will be decided on the further ecclesiastical procedure - as long as the priest remains relieved of all tasks.

Osnabrück Bishop Franz-Josef Bode had released him from his duties when the allegations became known and ordered a preliminary investigation under canon law.