Chicago Priest Arrested On Child Pornography Charge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago priest who was removed as pastor of a church in the Brighton Park neighborhood last year has been arrested on a child pornography charge.
Octavio Munoz, 40, was removed from ministry by the Chicago Archdiocese in August 2015, because of concerns about materials found on his computer. At the time, the Archdiocese would not specify what was found.
"Given the nature of the material, we reported our concerns to the civil authorities and will cooperate fully in their investigation," the Archdiocese said in a statement last year.
On Wednesday, police announced Munoz was found to be in possession of child pornography in July 2015.
Munoz was arrested Tuesday in Maryland, and was brought back to Chicago and charged with one felony count of child pornography.
He was due to appear for a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon.
At the time Munoz was removed from ministry, he was pastor of St. Pancratius Church, at 40th and Sacramento.
The archdiocese released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
"We learned today that Father Octavio Muñoz Capetillo has been charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography. The charge comes in connection with a police investigation that began after the archdiocese reported that inappropriate material had been found on a computer in his possession. On July 28, 2015, Archbishop Blase J. Cupich removed Father Muñoz from ministry and withdrew his faculties, his authority to minister, after the archdiocese learned that the inappropriate material might involve minors. Given the nature of that material, the archdiocese reported it promptly to the civil authorities and have cooperated fully with their investigation."