The Examiner
Jun 02, 2011
Kansas City, MO — A minor girl and her parents filed a civil lawsuit Thursday against Shawn Ratigan, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Bishop Robert Finn alleging that Ratigan took pornographic photographs of the minor.
Filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, the lawsuit alleges that Ratigan, who was living in Independence at the time of his arrest, took photos of the girl “engaged in sexually explicit conduct,” images of her nude and images of her in underwear starting in 2006.
The suit also alleges that Bishop Finn and the diocese concealed the photos allegedly taken by Ratigan.
Ratigan was arrested on child pornography charges on May 18 at the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist, a convent on North Noland Road. The diocese said he was living there while Finn determined a place where Ratigan could reside and “not be around children.” He was charged by a Clay County court with three counts of possessing child pornography. He remains in custody on $200,000 bond.
Two days after Ratigan’s arrest, Finn released a statement, saying, “I deeply regret that we didn’t ask the police earlier to conduct a full investigation.”
Ratigan worked at two Kansas City churches and two others starting in 2004. From June 2004 to June 2005, he was an associate pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Kansas City. From July 2005 to June 2009, he was a parochial administrator at St. Mary Parish in St. Joseph and St. Joseph Parish in Easton, Mo. From July 2009 to December 2010, he was pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City.
The plaintiff asked for damages on eight counts, including invasion of privacy, child sexual abuse, negligence and producing, creating, possessing and distributing child pornography.
The lawsuit alleges that diocesan officials violated “Masha’s Law,” a federal law that gives victims the right to sue those who fail to report sexually explicit images of children. The suit also says that diocesan officials knew of suspicions against Ratigan as early as 2006 when a diocese employee reported behavior involving Ratigan and a 4-year-old girl.
On Thursday, the diocese responded to the lawsuit with a statement: “First and foremost, the diocese is deeply concerned for the well-being of this child and her family.
We urge anyone within the community who has information about the actions of Shawn Ratigan to make a confidential report to Detective Maggie McGuire, at (816) 584-6633.”
A NOTE FROM JEFF:
Through our work with survivors of sexual abuse, we have come in contact with child pornography in a number of ways. Some like Fr. Michael McGrath in St. Louis, filmed children performing sex acts as an extension of the sexual abuse that he perpetrated.
Others like Fr. Harry Monroe in Indianapolis, used sexually explicit images of children in grooming and manipulation of children to normalize the sexual behavior. Clearly, the production and consumption of child pornography by pedophiles directly relates to and even intensifies their sexual misconduct with children.
Given the state of technology and the related trends in child abuse, no child protection effort can be complete without embracing child pornography. That is why we are launching a child pornography initiative - to protect children.
Child pornography is a multi-billion industry and among the fastest growing criminal segments on the internet.
From 1997 through 2003, the number of
child pornographic images on the internet has increased by 1500% and
20 % of all pornography traded over the internet was child pornography
The United States Department of Justice estimates that pornographers have
recorded the abuse of more than one million children in the United States
alone
There is a significant disparity between the 80,000 plus reports of child
pornography and the approximately 1,400 federal prosecutions for child
pornography. Obviously, the vast majority of child pornography crimes are
not being prosecuted.
[...]
[...]
Filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, the lawsuit alleges that Ratigan, who was living in Independence at the time of his arrest, took photos of the girl “engaged in sexually explicit conduct,” images of her nude and images of her in underwear starting in 2006.
The suit also alleges that Bishop Finn and the diocese concealed the photos allegedly taken by Ratigan.
Ratigan was arrested on child pornography charges on May 18 at the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist, a convent on North Noland Road. The diocese said he was living there while Finn determined a place where Ratigan could reside and “not be around children.” He was charged by a Clay County court with three counts of possessing child pornography. He remains in custody on $200,000 bond.
Two days after Ratigan’s arrest, Finn released a statement, saying, “I deeply regret that we didn’t ask the police earlier to conduct a full investigation.”
Ratigan worked at two Kansas City churches and two others starting in 2004. From June 2004 to June 2005, he was an associate pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Kansas City. From July 2005 to June 2009, he was a parochial administrator at St. Mary Parish in St. Joseph and St. Joseph Parish in Easton, Mo. From July 2009 to December 2010, he was pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City.
The plaintiff asked for damages on eight counts, including invasion of privacy, child sexual abuse, negligence and producing, creating, possessing and distributing child pornography.
The lawsuit alleges that diocesan officials violated “Masha’s Law,” a federal law that gives victims the right to sue those who fail to report sexually explicit images of children. The suit also says that diocesan officials knew of suspicions against Ratigan as early as 2006 when a diocese employee reported behavior involving Ratigan and a 4-year-old girl.
On Thursday, the diocese responded to the lawsuit with a statement: “First and foremost, the diocese is deeply concerned for the well-being of this child and her family.
We urge anyone within the community who has information about the actions of Shawn Ratigan to make a confidential report to Detective Maggie McGuire, at (816) 584-6633.”
A NOTE FROM JEFF:
Through our work with survivors of sexual abuse, we have come in contact with child pornography in a number of ways. Some like Fr. Michael McGrath in St. Louis, filmed children performing sex acts as an extension of the sexual abuse that he perpetrated.
Others like Fr. Harry Monroe in Indianapolis, used sexually explicit images of children in grooming and manipulation of children to normalize the sexual behavior. Clearly, the production and consumption of child pornography by pedophiles directly relates to and even intensifies their sexual misconduct with children.
Given the state of technology and the related trends in child abuse, no child protection effort can be complete without embracing child pornography. That is why we are launching a child pornography initiative - to protect children.
Child pornography is a multi-billion industry and among the fastest growing criminal segments on the internet.
From 1997 through 2003, the number of
child pornographic images on the internet has increased by 1500% and
20 % of all pornography traded over the internet was child pornography
The United States Department of Justice estimates that pornographers have
recorded the abuse of more than one million children in the United States
alone
There is a significant disparity between the 80,000 plus reports of child
pornography and the approximately 1,400 federal prosecutions for child
pornography. Obviously, the vast majority of child pornography crimes are
not being prosecuted.
[...]
[...]
How we intend to reduce consumption of child pornography?
The simple answer is FEAR.
If the chances of getting caught and BEING publicly exposed as a consumer of child pornography increase, there will be some constumers who will not continue to consume child pornography.
The goal of this initiative is to reduce the consumption of child pornography.
Reduced demand will result in reduced production of child pornography.
Thus, fewer children will be victimized in order to produce child pornography.
[...]
[...]
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