A Missouri bishop who became the nation's highest-ranking Catholic official charged with shielding an abusive priest was found guilty Thursday of one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse, a conviction that extends the Church's struggles to shake its reputation for protecting pedophile priests.
Bishop Robert Finn was acquitted on a second count. He received two years of probation, but that sentence was suspended. Finn was ordered to get training on reporting abuse.
Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph were each charged with two misdemeanor counts of failing to report suspected child abuse to the state. Prosecutors said Thursday they are seeking to dismiss the charges against the diocese, but the judge isn't expected to rule on that until Friday.
"I truly regret and am sorry for the hurt these events have caused," Finn told the judge before being sentenced.
The charges stemmed from the child pornography case of Rev. Shawn Ratigan, in which Finn and other church officials knew about photos on the priest's computer but didn't turn him in for six months.
Finn argued he should not face charges because he was not the diocese's mandated reporter under the law. At the time, the responsibility rested mainly with Vicar General Robert Murphy.
A computer technician found child pornography on Ratigan's laptop in December 2010 and reported it to the diocese. Of the hundreds of images found, many focused on the crotch areas of clothed children and one series showed the exposed genitals of a girl believed to be 3 or 4 years old.
AP
FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2011, file photo, Bishop Robert Finn, of Kansas City, Mo., leaves a meeting at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' annual fall assembly in Baltimore. Prosecutors and attorneys for Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph have agreed to have a judge hear their case Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, weeks before their scheduled jury trial date. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Close Finn has acknowledged he was told in December 2010 about the images. The bishop also has acknowledged that a parochial school principal had raised concerns about Ratigan's behavior around children in May 2010.
State law requires that the Division of Family Services be informed of such evidence of abuse.
Murphy confronted Ratigan about the photos, and the next day, Ratigan was found in his garage with his motorcycle running and a suicide note that apologized for any harm he had caused. Ratigan recovered after being hospitalized.
Finn sent Ratigan out of state for a psychological examination, and then ordered him to stay at a convent in Independence, Mo., where he could say Mass for the nuns. Finn also ordered Ratigan to avoid contact with children.
Later, after the diocese received reports Ratigan had attended a St. Patrick's Day parade and a child's birthday party, Finn ordered that police be given copies of the photos recovered from Ratigan's laptop.
Ratigan pleaded guilty last month to federal charges of producing and attempting to produce child pornography, admitting to taking photos of children 2 to 9 years old. Prosecutors said they will request that he spend the rest of his life in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
While still damaging to Finn and the diocese, Thursday's conviction came after an unusually swift trial before a judge instead of jurors, avoiding days of potentially embarrassing evidence about what Finn and others did or didn't do to address Ratigan's problem.
A statement from Finn's attorneys, handed out to reporters after Thursday's hearing, reflected that concern.
"This could have been a lengthy and emotionally difficult trial for all persons affected," the attorneys said. "The bench trial, with a stipulation of testimony, has avoided the need for live testimony from diocesan employees, parishioners and others.
"This process has also resulted in the charges against the Diocese being dismissed by the state," the statement added. "The diocesan process and procedures as previously existed failed to adequately identify the necessity to inform the Children's Division of Shawn Ratigan's behavior in a more timely manner. For this, the bishop is truly sorry."
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