Barnaby Dowling 64

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ONE hundred and sixteen indecent images of children were found by police on computer equipment owned by a Roman Catholic parish priest.

Father Barnaby Dowling (46) was said at a Salisbury magistrates' court last week to have viewed various forms of pornography on the internet and to have used chat rooms and viewed indecent images of young girls.

Magistrates told the priest that what made his case more serious was that he had distributed some of the images to other users and, adjourning sentence for reports to be compiled, warned him that all sentencing options remained open including a prison sentence.

Father Dowling, from St Osmund's Church in Exeter Street, pleaded guilty to three charges of distributing indecent photographs of children, four charges of making indecent photographs of children and admitted one charge of possessing 14 indecent photographs of children.

Prosecutor Becky Abbott told the court that in October 2004, Devon and Cornwall police were carrying out an investigation and various individuals were identified on computer equipment they had seized.

Father Dowling's name was among them and Salisbury police executed a warrant at his address in Exeter Street.

Police took away a computer, a laptop and other computer equipment.

She said 73 pictures were found on the laptop, and in all 116 images were found, although only 40 of them were still accessible as Father Dowling had deleted the others.

The images were mainly of young girls, although one was of a boy.

Father Dowling admitted he used a screen name to receive images and had forwarded some on to other users, but only by prior arrangement.

Paul Jones, defending, said Father Dowling was extremely remorseful and embarrassed at being before the court.

Mr Jones said the offences were "low level" for that type of offence and involved a small number of images compared to many other cases.

He said the priest had deleted many images and had not received any financial gain from what he had done.

Mr Jones said: "He has been a parish priest for 22 years, the last three in Salisbury.

"He has now been told by the Church that he will be restricted to what he may do within the ministry and will not have anything to do with children.

"This will have an impact on the community which has been his life.

"Father Dowling has received considerable support from that community and from his parish. These offences took place during a difficult time for him.

"He had been diagnosed with cancer and there followed a period of depression. He, himself, needed support and fortunately he now is receiving that support."

Mr Jones handed to the magistrates a number of references and said: "This had had a devastating effect on him.

"Because of the media interest he will be in the public eye. He is going to be restricted in his duties and all this is greater punishment for him than anything the court can do."

Adjourning sentence until July 10, presiding magistrate Dr Pauline Tremlett told him he had been in a position of trust.

She said it involved a small number of images but the fact that he had distributed some of them made it a more serious matter.

She said: "We are aware of your genuine remorse and that it happened during a period of ill health, but we wish to protect the public and we wish to rehabilitate and reform you."

Father Dowling was granted bail until his next appearance on July 10.