Diocese in Šiauliai, northern Lithuania, has suspended pastor Alionidas Budrius after a regional court found him guilty of accumulating and distributing child pornography.
“His duties have been suspended, his priestly service has been limited [and] he no longer serves [the church],” RImantas Žoromskis, head of Šiauliai Diocese, told BNS on Wednesday.
In July, Šiauliai Regional Court found Budrius guilty of accumulating and distributing child pornography, according to Lrytas.lt and Alfa.lt news websites.
The pastor did not deny his guilt. He was fined 7,000 euros and had three computers and two smartphones confiscated.
Under Lithuania’s criminal code, accumulation of child pornography carries a sentence of up to four years in prison, or a fine.
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