Boston Priest Faces Child Pornography Charges

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has suspended the pastor of a South Boston church after he was charged with having images of preteen girls on a computer in the rectory.

The 39-year-old Rev. Andrzej Urbaniak pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of possession and dissemination of child pornography. A judge set cash bail of $15,000. If he is released he must have GPS monitoring, surrender his passport, and avoid children and the Internet.

His lawyer, Jeffrey Denner, said Urbaniak has "a long history of doing good."

Police said Urbaniak, the pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa in South Boston, was arrested Tuesday following a two-month investigation. Police said there's no evidence the images are girls from the area, and no one has alleged to be a victim.

The archdiocese said in a statement that Urbaniak has been placed on administrative leave and barred from functioning as a priest during the investigation.

The archdiocese has also informed the head of his order in Poland. He is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual.

"The archdiocese is fully cooperating with law enforcement," the statement said. "The church prays for all those impacted by these events and is committed to providing for the pastoral care of the parish during this difficult time."

Urbaniak was ordained in Lodz, Poland in 1998, and has been in the Boston Archdiocese since 2008. In addition to his duties as pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Urbaniak also served for a year as temporary administrator of St. Adalbert church in the city's Hyde Park section.