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May 17, 2005
Sexual Abuse Victim Arrested For Possessing Child Pornography
A man who was sexually abused by a Rochester priest as a teenager has recently been arrested and accused of possessing child pornography. There are also indications that the case may be tied to the arrest of another Rochester priest, who faces similar charges.
When Monroe County Sheriff's deputies arrested Paul Hearty on March 3, he was carrying a blue bag filled with floppy discs that contained images of child pornography. Police sources confirm that one picture depicted the children engaged in sex acts who appear to be 10 or 11 years old.
Hearty has pleaded not guilty and when reached at his house in Greece, said he had no comment.
In 1997, he accused a Rochester Roman Catholic priest of sexually molesting him in the rectory of Our Lady Of Mercy. The Rev. William Lum later admitted to the crime and pleaded guilty.
Sources close to the investigation say Paul Hearty admitted to possessing the pornography. He also claims to have kept tabs on Lum and mentioned another priest the Rev. Michael Volino.
One week after Hearty's arrest, Volino was charged with possessing hundred of images of child pornography on the computer. So far, police haven't determined a direct connection between the cases but are investigating.
Hearty worked as a nurse's aid at Monroe Community Hospital. He has since been fired.
Several years ago, he was also fired as a residential aid at ARC of Monroe County. In a letter from 1995 obtained by 13WHAM news, Hearty was cited for hanging around students at McQuaid High School after school hours.
After some complaints, he was warned to not to visit without an appointment. He also volunteered with at-risk youth. In 1997, he said during an interview that he was compelled to help other teens because he had been a victim, too.
Now prosecutors want to know if there's more to the story. Investigators took a close look at all of the computer systems at Monroe Community Hospital and determined none of them were used to download the images.
He had been on medical leave from his job since September. Investigators spoke with patients he would have had access to and there are no allegations of any physical abuse.
The 26 counts will be presented to a grand jury. If convicted, Hearty could spend up to four years in prison for each count and would have to register as a sex offender.
Posted by Nealus at May 17, 2005 04:10 PM
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