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Photo: Friso Gentsch/ dpa
The public prosecutor's office is investigating a Catholic pastor from Recklinghausen for possession of child pornography.
After viewing numerous secured data carriers, the suspicion against the priest was confirmed, said a spokesman for the central and contact point for cybercrime (ZAC), which is based at the Cologne public prosecutor's office, on Friday.
However, the evaluation of all data is not yet complete and will take some time.
"This is an unusually large amount of data," the spokesman said.
Investigators searched the pastor's apartment last November and confiscated computers, hard drives and cell phones, among other things.
The priest has since been suspended from duty.
"We're waiting to see what the investigations finally reveal," said the intervention officer of the diocese of Münster, Peter Frings, according to a statement.
Depending on this, a decision will be made on how to proceed.
wit/dpa