Former Archdiocese Official Describes 'Last Straw'

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- A former canon lawyer with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis says the last straw before she quit was how officials refused to take action when she discovered pornography on CDs in files on a priest up for promotion.

Jennifer Haselberger tells Minnesota Public Radio some images appeared to show boys as young as 12 engaged in sex. They came from a computer that belonged to the Rev. Jonathan Shelley. She says Archbishop John Nienstedt's top deputy, the Rev. Peter Laird, ordered her off the case and to turn over the file box. She contacted authorities instead.

Police concluded the CDs showed only adult pornography and closed the investigation.

Shelley told MPR he did nothing illegal. Archdiocese spokesman Jim Accurso told MPR there's nothing to corroborate Haselberger's story.

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