Suspended Chicago priest arrested on child porn charge
CHICAGO -- A former Chicago priest has been arrested on a child pornography charge, according to police and church officials.
Octavio Munoz, 40, was removed from ministry by the Chicago Archdiocese last summer when he was pastor of St. Pancratius Church in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood, because of concerns about materials found on his computer, reports CBS Chicago. At the time, the archdiocese would not specify what was found.
On Wednesday, police announced Munoz was found to be in possession of child pornography in July 2015.
In a statement, the archdiocese said Archbishop Blase J. Cupich removed Munoz at that time after church officials learned the inappropriate material on his computer 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,” the statement said.
Munoz was arrested in Maryland Tuesday and was extradited back to Chicago, where he is charged with one felony count of child pornography, the station reports. He was scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon.