DALLAS – A former Dallas-area priest who pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison.
Mathew Bagert was sentenced Tuesday to 51 months in federal prison without parole by U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay in Dallas. U.S. Attorney James Jacks of Dallas said in a statement that the 40-year-old Bagert also must register as a sex offender.
Bagert was the Rev. Mathew Bagert and pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Grand Priarie when an associate pastor saw him viewing child porn on the rectory computer.
Grand Prairie police conducted a warranted search of the computer in February 2005 and found the images, for which Bagert admitted responsibilty.
Bagert has left the priesthood and married. He recently worked as a traveling installer for hotel energy management systems.
