KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A priest formerly assigned to Douglas County, Kansas, was charged in federal court with possession of child pornography.
According to court records, the Rev. Christopher Rossman allegedly possessed a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct in September 2016.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a statement Thursday that after learning Rossman had accessed inappropriate content on his computer, he was "immediately suspended" and the information was reported to police.
At the time, he was serving as pastor of Annunciation Church in Baldwin City and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lapeer.
The Archdiocese said Thursday that Rossman is still a priest with the Archdiocese, though he was suspended and could not act as a priest while the allegations were investigated.
Rossman was among 22 clergy who appeared in a special report on substantiated claims of sexual abuse involving minors that the Archdiocese released in January. The report said Rossman also had pastoral assignments in Olathe, Topeka, Holton, Mayetta and Potawatomi Reservation.
Anyone who suspects inappropriate sexual conduct by a member of the clergy can contact a confidential report line at 913-647-3051 or go online at archkck.org/reportabuse.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Rossman is still a priest with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. An earlier version referred to him as a former priest.
