Priest Sentenced to 50 Years (child porn)

A Kansas City Catholic priest was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Thursday on federal child pornography charges for taking sexually explicit photos of several young girls, including a 2-year-old.

Shawn Ratigan, 47, pleaded guilty in August 2012 to four counts of producing child pornography and one count of attempting to produce child pornography.

Prosecutors had sought the 50-year sentence, which they had said would amount to a life term, after it was discovered that he had taken hundreds of lewd photographs of young girls.

"There are no words that I can express to tell you my sorrow, but it's there," Ratigan told the judge. "I just couldn't help it."

"I know that God has forgiven me, my soul is in good shape," Ratigan said.

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