Fr. Doyle will not face charges after "inappropriate" photos were found on his computer.
JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- A Jefferson City priest will not face criminal charges, but will lose his ministry after pornographic images were found on his computer.
We first told you last December that Father Brendan Doyle was on leave after a computer technician found inappropriate pictures on his laptop. Fr. Doyle had handed over the laptop for repair because of a possible virus.
The investigation into the incident is now complete.
On Wednesday the Diocese of Jefferson City released a statement…
“It is the understanding of the Diocese that, at this time, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri has declined prosecution.”
However, Fr. Doyle still violated the church’s “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”, and because of that he will be removed from public ministry. A diocesan review board made the decision.
In its statement the Diocese also made it clear that “outside of this incident, the Diocese has not received any report of improper conduct or abuse of a minor involving Fr. Doyle.”
Also, the statement did not indicate whether the photos came from a virus or what the pictures were of.
Fr. Doyle was the priest at Immaculate Conception Church and the spiritual director at Helias High School.
The priest has been in the Jefferson City community for decades. When the news first broke of possible inappropriate pictures being found on his computer, many in the mid-Missouri area stood behind Fr. Doyle.
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