LA CROSSE, Wis. (WTAQ) - A La Crosse area priest is free on a signature bond, after he was charged with a felony count of possessing child pornography.
The Reverend Patrick Umberger allegedly told investigators he was attracted to boys as young as 12 and used computer photos for sexual arousal. A judge told the 59-year-old Umberger not to use a computer or have contact with kids.
The La Crosse Catholic Diocese said it removed Umberger from his duties to “protect all parties involved.” He’s a pastor at St. Patrick’s Church in Onalaska, a teacher at the parish school, and the Webmaster for the diocese.
Authorities said the case began last year, when police were told that he acted suspiciously at Noah’s Ark waterpark in Lake Delton by following boys into a restroom. His season pass was revoked, and Lake Delton Police shared its report with authorities in Onalaska. And they referred the case to the state Justice Department, after learning that Umberger had many boys as friends on Facebook.
A justice agent interviewed him this week – and according to prosecutors, he denied inappropriate sexual conduct with kids in his 30 years as a priest. And he said nothing inappropriate took place at the waterpark.
Former La Crosse Bishop Jerome Listecki, who’s now the archbishop in Milwaukee, brought Umberger onto his staff in 2005. The diocese said it had not been aware of his alleged improper computer usage. And Listecki said he was “surprised and saddened” to hear about the arrest.
