A Roman Catholic Filipino priest, who is believed to be hiding in the Philippines after being accused of possessing child pornography and stealing from his parish in Worcester, Massachusetts, has been officially indicted, according to the Worcester Telegram.
The Telegram reported a grand jury in Worcester County on Friday indicted Rev. Lowe B. Dongor with possession of child pornography and larceny over $250.
Authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of Dongor, who is believed to have fled to the Philippines after being charged with possession of child pornography and stealing from his parish last year. Several Philippine media outlets have reported that Dongor has returned to his hometown of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, in October.
Dongor, the Diocese of Worcester’s first Filipino priest, is accused of having images of young pre-pubescent girls in various states of undress in his laptop computer. A computer technician found the images and reported it to police.
During questioning, he allegedly admitted that on several occasions he stole “$40 or $60” from the parish office in Fitchburg to wire home to his family in the Philippines and also admitted to visiting several child pornography websites.
He was released on personal recognizance by Judge Andrew L. Mandell and was ordered not to use computers and not to have unsupervised contact with children under 14.
Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest after Dongor missed a preliminary hearing last year. They said they are working with Philippine local enforcement to locate and bring Dongor back to the US to face the charges.
After his arrest, the Diocese of Worcester has asked the Vatican to defrock Dongor under the Vatican’s Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith stating, “the acquisition, possession, and distribution of child pornography is a canonical delict that pertains to the sexual abuse of a minor.” Joseph Pimentel/AJPress