KS Confirms New Child Porn Probe Into Fr. James Jackson, FSSP

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (ChurchMilitant.com) - A new court document confirms Fr. James, Jackson, FSSP allegedly tried to access child porn while out on bond.

A July 12 memo, filed in the court docket Wednesday, sets out details of the traditionalist priest's rearrest in Kansas, where he had been free on bond. He had first been arrested in Rhode Island in October 2021 for alleged possession and distribution of child porn involving infants, toddlers and bestiality. He was granted permission in November to travel to Kansas and stay with family as he awaited trial.

According to the July 12 memo, while in Kansas, Jackson tried to access child porn again from May through June: "[T]he child pornography investigation conducted by his agency identified internet activity linked to Mr. Jackson from May 2022 to June 2022 in which he allegedly engaged in accessing child pornography."

A search turned up a computer and an external hard drive owned by Jackson. Both items were seized by authorities. 

"Detective [Christopher] Moore noted that Mr. Jackson appeared to have tried to concealed/hidden [sic] the devices at the time of the search and also that he was not cooperative with officers throughout the search process," the memo adds.

The only electronic devices Jackson was allowed to have while out on bond was a pre-approved smart phone. The other devices were never disclosed to the probation officer.

The July 12 memo concludes, "It is respectfully requested that the Court issue a Warrant so that the defendant can be made to appear for a Bail Revocation Hearing."

The court granted the request, and Jackson was rearrested and transported back to custody in Rhode Island, where he remains.

Probable Cause for Child Porn

As Church Militant reported, Fr. Jackson admitted in an Oct. 3 detention hearing that probable cause exists for the federal government to prove he violated multiple conditions of his bond, including possession of child porn.

In comments to Church Militant, the spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Rhode Island explained that Jackson admitted the federal government could prove he violated the following release conditions:

• That he not possess any materials including videos, magazines, photographs, computer-generated depictions or any other forms that depict sexually explicit conduct involving children; that he have access to only one internet-connected device; that he notify his supervising probation officer of all computers or electronic data storage devices where he was residing and to report any additional acquisitions.
• Additionally, he further admitted that the government could establish probable cause that he committed a new crime, to wit, possession of child pornography, while on pretrial release. To be very clear — he did not admit that he committed the new crime, only that the government could establish probable cause that he did.
• He conceded that he be detained pending further proceedings.

In criminal law, "probable cause" means a reasonable belief exists that a crime was committed, therefore justifying the arrest. 

According to the Oct. 3 order of detention, the court agreed to keep Jackson in jail because "there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed one or more of the following offenses ... an offense involving a minor victim ... ."

A word to the wise.

The latest on Fr. James Jackson, FSSP. https://t.co/ZpNnHMlv57 pic.twitter.com/KDr4bSEgIY

— Church Militant (@Church_Militant) October 5, 2022

Father Jackson was arrested on Oct. 30, 2021, after a three-month sting led to a raid of his rectory at St. Mary's Parish in Providence. The sting revealed child porn had been downloaded from and uploaded to and sent from Jackson's computer on Sunday, Sept. 26; Friday, Oct. 15; and Sunday, Oct. 17. 

The raid also turned up an external hard drive containing hundreds of images of extreme child porn.

An affidavit (caution: graphic) signed by Homeland Security Special Agent James Richardson details the nature of the Jackson investigation and the disturbing footage found on his rectory computer.

Father Jackson was formerly a highly respected member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), at one time serving as rector of the FSSP's North American seminary in Denton, Nebraska, in charge of forming souls for the traditionalist community.

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