A Catholic priest has been arrested in southern Illinois on child pornography charges.
Rev. Gerald Hechenberger distributed and possessed photos and videos of child pornography from June 2017 through January 2018, according to the charges filed against him.
This isn’t Rev. Gerald Hechenberger’s first illegal incident. More than two decades ago, he was cited twice in the 1980s for drunken-driving. In 2004, he was charged with trespassing after he was accused of refusing to leave a truck stop while shirtless.
Hechenberger was charged with 16 counts of child pornography and one count of possession of meth on Tuesday. He was taken into custody on Monday, and his bail was set at $2 million. He remains in the St. Clair County Jail.
According to the charging documents, 16 different photos and a video that Hechenberger allegedly possessed or distributed in the past seven months.
The photos involved boys and girls engaged in or simulating sexual acts with adults, according to documents. Two pictures showed an infant girl engaged in a sexual act with an adult male. A video file showed a female toddler engaged in or simulating a sexual act with an adult male.
Belleville police say, “It is unknown at this time if Hechenberger produced any of the images himself, or if he has had any inappropriate contact with children directly.”
The investigation is ongoing, police said.
Source: nydailynews.com
