Pastor charged with possession of child porn

WATEFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - A Waterford pastor has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.

Police searched the St. Paul Parish Rectory in Waterford on June 28 as part of an investigation into internet crimes against children. Officers seized various items of evidence and eventually arrested Pastor Dennis Carey, 65.

Carey stood silently next to his attorney who spoke about the Waterford pastor's arrest for possessing child pornography.

"It's an addiction that he's going through and he needs help for it," said Ron Stevens, attorney, "and as he mentioned in court he said to judge McMahon, I need help and I want help."

Carey resigned as pastor after state police began investigating him. Police in Los Angeles traced illicit images to his email account.

"There's no allegations here of any inappropriate touching of children and anything of that nature," Stevens said.

Some of the images taken from Carey's computers at the rectory are described in the affidavit. They are too graphic, and detailed, and disturbing to describe, but they are among 338 pictures and videos that were seized by police.

There were nude pictures of girls 11 to 14 years old and children as young as two in sex videos.

"It's just a very, very, very bad thing," one parishioner said. "Children should be protected and not abused or exploited."

The parishioner who did not want to be identified says Carey has always been a very good pastor.

"As a parishioner I feel, I mean people do bad things, I guess he needs our prayers also," the parishioner said.

Carey was released on bond and ordered not to have any contact with children under 13 or use any computers.

"He feels very, very, very bad about it," said Stevens. "He has an appointment this afternoon with a psychiatrist. He's going to look for forgiveness."

Bishop Michael Cote expresses sadness in a statement saying, "to exploit children in that fashion is absolutely reprehensible. We pray the allegations are not true."