BostonHerald.com
Thursday, June 9, 2011
By O’Ryan Johnson
A Haverhill priest who bilked parishioners for $83,000 — much of it from the collection plate — got a slap on the wrist from a judge yesterday in exchange for pleading to sufficient facts.
Keith LeBlanc, 59, who is still a priest but is barred from performing any ministerial duties, was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service over three years and had the charges against him continued without finding during that time, said Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s spokesman Stephen O’Connell.
He said prosecutors wanted LeBlanc to plead guilty to larceny over $250 and serve two years probation.
The Archdiocese of Boston said while the legal investigation appears to be wrapping up, they are still investigating any potential wrongdoing by LeBlanc, who remains suspended from duty.
“We are clearly concerned about this,” said spokesman Terry Donilan. “Parishioners expect us to be good stewards of their resources, and we take that trust very seriously. Our first priority is to the parish.”
The church’s insurance company returned the money LeBlanc stole, O’Connell said.
LeBlanc, who is living in New Hampshire with relatives, could not be reached for comment. A call to his lawyer’s office was not immediately returned.
LeBlanc used the money to feed a seemingly insatiable appetite for pornography, including $4,000 in pay-per-view bills, charges which started the day he took over St. John the Baptist Church, police said last year.
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Pastor Porn Bust? Rev. Keith LeBlanc Stole $83K to Pay Off Porn Debt, Police Say
CBS News
08 November 2010
HAVERHILL, Mass. (CBS/WBZ/AP) Rev. Keith LeBlanc of St. John the Baptist Church in Haverhill, Mass. is facing some serious charges.
Police say the pastor stole more than $83,000 – and used it pay off $25,000 in pornography-related credit card debt.
“Because this is an ongoing legal proceeding, it would be inappropriate for me to comment. That said we continue to pray for Fr. LeBlanc, for the parish of St. John the Baptist and for all those impacted by these events,” Terrence Donilon, communications director for the Archdiocese of Boston, told CBS affiliate WBZ in an email Sunday.
LeBlanc resigned in June after six years as pastor of St. John’s. He was arraigned last week on larceny and forgery charges and released on personal recognizance.
A police report obtained by the Eagle-Tribune of Lawrence said LeBlanc had a credit card he used for online pornography and that he admitted to an investigator for the Boston archdiocese that he needed help for a pornography addiction.
The report said LeBlanc had gone to a recovery center in Pennsylvania for priests with behavioral issues.