Father Robert Brooks, former pastor of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Leesburg, pleaded no contest to one felony count of attempting to possess child pornography, in Loudoun Circuit Court Wednesday, Oct. 5.
The investigation of the former catholic priest began in September 2004, when members of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) discovered that he allegedly was registered to a child pornography Web site. I.C.E. monitors the Internet under "Operation Falcon," an undercover federal investigation that observes child pornography Web sites.
In January 2004, the I.C.E. questioned Brooks and in February 2005, he was indicted by a Loudoun grand jury.
Brook’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12. He faces a maximum of five years in jail.