Rev. Bartley Sorensen has been suspended after a parish employee allegedly saw him viewing material on his office computer.
A suspended Roman Catholic priest has pleaded not guilty to charges of possessing thousands of pornographic images of young boys.
Sixty-two-year-old Rev. Bartley Sorensen of St. John Fisher Church in Churchill was released on $50,000 unsecured bond but confined to his home on electronic monitoring. He declined comment after his arraignment Friday in federal court in Pittsburgh on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography.
Sorensen has been suspended by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Allegheny County authorities arrested him last month after a parish employee alleged that he had been viewing the material on his office computer, and images and videos were found in his home and office.
Federal prosecutors said they anticipate that the state charges will be dropped. A spokesman for the district attorney declined comment.
