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Bail reduced for Belleville priest charged with child porn and meth possession

The diocese's statement said he is the Associate Pastor of Holy Childhood Parish in Mascoutah, St. Pancratius Parish in Fayetteville and St. Liborius Parish in St. Libory.
Credit: Illinois State's Attorney
The Illinois State's Attorney filed eight charges of dissemination of child pornography, eight counts of possession of child pornography and one count of possession of less than five grams of meth against Gerald Hechenberger.

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – A judge in St. Clair County reduced bail for a Belleville priest who was charged with child pornography and possession of meth.

Earlier this month, charges were filed against a Metro East priest who was arrested in connection with a child pornography investigation.

The Illinois State's Attorney filed eight charges of dissemination of child pornography, eight counts of possession of child pornography and one count of possession of less than five grams of meth against Gerald Hechenberger.

Hechenberger’s bail was set at $2 million, it’s been reduced to $250,000.

If he posts bond, these are the conditions he will have to comply with:

  • Cannot make contact with parishioners from Holy Childhood Church, St. Pancratius Parish and St. Liborius Parish
  • Has to reside at a specific residence
  • No contact with anyone under 16
  • No access to an electronic device which can access the internet (laptop, tablet, phone)
  • Drug and alcohol testing
  • 5 p.m. curfew

The Belleville Police Department said they made an arrest while serving a search warrant at the rectory of Holy Childhood Catholic Church in Mascoutah, Illinois. In a statement, Bishop Edward K. Braxton of the Diocese of Belleville confirmed Hechenberger is a priest in their diocese. Police said he is the only person under investigation at Holy Childhood Catholic Church.

The diocese's statement said Hechenberger is the Associate Pastor of Holy Childhood Parish in Mascoutah, St. Pancratius Parish in Fayetteville and St. Liborius Parish in St. Libory.

Illinois State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said his office worked with the Belleville Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The charges are pending grand jury action.

The dissemination charges are Class X felonies and the possession charges are Class 2 felonies. The possession of meth charge is a Class 3 felony.

Police said they don't know if he produced any of the images himself or had any inappropriate contact directly with children. Police do not have knowledge of additional victims, but they are asking parents to talk with their children if they had contact with Hechenberger.

Statement of Bishop Edward K. Braxton of the Diocese of Belleville

8 January 2018

The Catholic Diocese of Belleville has been advised earlier today that the Rev. Gerald R. Hechenberger, the Associate Pastor of Holy Childhood Parish in Mascoutah, St. Pancratius Parish in Fayetteville and St. Liborius Parish in St. Libory, was taken into custody this morning by St. Clair County authorities.

This is a very serious matter for Father Hechenberger.

At this point, the Diocese has no reason to believe that any parishioners are affected by this matter. The Diocese is awaiting an update on information from the civil authorities, and has assured them of the Diocese’s full cooperation.

Beyond requesting your prayers for Father Hechenberger, the Diocese will make no further comment at this time.

Cyber experts say it’s nearly impossible for someone to erase the evidence of child porn on their computer.

“They just hit the delete button and they think it's gone, but it reality it will remain on your hard drive, and it will remain there for ever unless you figure out a way to wipe your hard drive,” said Michael Barbieri of Global Security Consultants.

He said to keep your kids safe from child pornographers, be careful about the photos you post on Facebook. You might see a picture of a cute kid, but a pedophile will view it differently. With just a few clicks, they can share it with their community online.

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