Kansas Priest Pleads Guilty To Possessing Child Pornography

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas priest pleaded guilty in federal court here today to possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

In his plea, Christopher Rossman, 46, who formerly served at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Baldwin City, Kan., admitted that investigators found child pornography on his Samsung Galaxy tablet. The crime occurred in September 2016 when monitoring software installed on Rossman’s computer devices reported he had visited adult pornography and child pornography websites. The archdiocese forwarded the report to law enforcement.

When investigators tried to find Rossman in Baldwin City, they learned that his sister had taken possession of the Galaxy tablet and tried to run over it a number of times. A forensics examination found files on the device depicting prepubescent females engaged in sexual activities.

Sentencing will scheduled at a later date. The crime carries a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister commended FBI task force agent Angie Jones for her work on the case and the Archdiocese for it its cooperation. McAllister and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel are prosecuting.