Russian priest sent to Ukraine sentenced to three years for sharing pornographic images with minors

A Moscow court has sentenced an Orthodox priest sent to the combat zone in Ukraine to three years in prison for sharing pornographic images, including with minors, state-owned news agency TASS said Thursday.

Archpriest Dmitry Kuvyrtalov, from the Archangel Michael Church in Letovo, Moscow, was found guilty of sharing pornographic material in messages he exchanged online. The prosecution had asked for a sentence of eight years.

The Russian Defence Ministry sent Kuvyrtalov to the combat zone in Ukraine in March 2023 to administer pastoral care to servicemen. In the course of a routine check of his electronic devices, WhatsApp messages were found which contained pornographic images.

Kuvyrtalov was detained and handed over to the military police in the occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, after which his case was handed over to the Russian Investigative Committee.

Investigators found three conversations containing pornographic images in his phone, one of which was with a 15-year-old schoolgirl. The prosecution said the schoolgirl had sent Kuvyrtalov the pictures in exchange for money. He then forwarded them to two other people.