US bishop found guilty of abuse cover-up
The first American bishop criminally charged in the clergy sex abuse scandal was found guilty of a misdemeanour count of failing to report suspected child abuse, a conviction that extends the struggle of Catholic leaders to restore trust in the church.
Bishop Robert Finn was acquitted on a second count.
He received two years of probation, but that sentence was suspended and will be wiped from his record if he adheres to a set of conditions that include mandatory abuse reporting training, setting aside US$10,000 in diocese money for abuse victim counselling, and instructing all diocesan agents to report suspected criminal activity involving minors.
Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph were each charged with two misdemeanour counts of failing to report suspected child abuse to the state.
Prosecutors said they dropped charges against the diocese, and the judge is expected to sign off on that today.
The bishop, dressed in his traditional black garb, sat calmly throughout the hearing, even as he heard the verdict.
He apologised before being sentenced, saying: "I truly regret and am sorry for the hurt these events have caused."
The charges stemmed from the child pornography case of Shawn Ratigan, in which Finn and other church officials knew about photos on the priest's computer but did not turn him in for six months.
Finn initially was charged with one misdemeanour count, but a second was added to acknowledge two separate time periods in which he failed to report suspected abuse.
On Thursday, the bishop was acquitted of a charge spanning December 17, 2010, to February 10, 2011, because Jackson County Judge John M. Torrence said there was no evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Finn knew about the pornographic photos.
The charge on which Finn was convicted involved a period from February 11 to May 11, 2011.
Finn sent Ratigan to stay at a convent in Independence, Missouri, during that time and ordered him to stay away from children and avoid taking photos.
Prosecutors said that showed Finn knew about accusations against Ratigan, and Judge Torrence agreed.
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.
