Rota official sentenced for possession of child pornography

Monsignor Pietro Amenta is a prelate auditor of the Court of the Roman Rota, the highest court of the Church in matrimonial matters.  He was sentenced on Thursday, February 15 by a judge in Rome for possession of images of child pornography, reports the daily Il Messaggero .

Having chosen to plead guilty, Monsignor Pietro Amenta, 55, of the diocese of Matera (southern Italy), received a suspended sentence of 14 months in prison.

According to the Roman daily, the affair broke out one evening in March after an altercation, when an 18-year-old Romanian boy accused a man of groping him while he was in a market.

Known to the police

To explain his ambiguous gestures, the man, who turned out to be a priest, first argued that there was not much room between the stalls, and that was the reason for the physical contact.  He fled, pursued by the young man.

Both were then caught by an off-duty municipal officer, before the arrival of a carabineros car.  On being questioned by the officers the young man complained that he had twice been groped by the priest.

A Vatican spokesman:  “The pope meets “victims of sexual abuse” several times a month.”

 

During the carabineros’ inquiries, it became clear that the young Romanian had no police record and was not known to the Italian police, while the monsignor, a prelate auditor at La Rote since 2012, had already been the subject of a complaint for obscene acts in 1991 and, in 2004, for sexual harassment. In 2013, he had also filed a complaint after being robbed by two transsexuals.

Investigations at the Vatican

During a search of his home, the carabinieri then found on his computer 80 pornographic photos with minors in the foreground.  He denied having downloaded them, but then he then chose to make a deal with Italian justice officials.

Since the case concerned the Italian justice system, the promoter of justice of the State of the Vatican City had no comment but revealed in early February that his staff was currently investigating two cases of pedophilia involving people working for the Vatican.

 

The Vatican investigates two money laundering cases.  So far, only one case was known: that of a priest of the nunciature in Washington targeted by an investigation for possession of child pornography.

“The investigations initiated are at the preliminary stage and are carried out conscientiously, with the most absolute secrecy, out of respect for all the persons concerned”, assured the prosecutor Gian Piero Milano, expressing the “determination” of the Vatican justice in the material.

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