A retired Diocese of Boise Catholic priest has been arrested and charged with 10 felony counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and two additional felonies for knowingly distributing sexually exploitive material of a child. William Thomas Faucher is also charged with possession of a controlled substance.
When police searched Faucher’s apartment in Boise, they found hundreds of images of child pornography on the priest’s computer, as well as marijuana, LSD, and ecstasy/MDMA. Some of the photos had been sent to another individual.
Judge Michael Lojek set bail at $250,000 bail and issued a no-contact order for individuals under the age of 18. Faucher is also prohibited from using the internet and is subject to GPS monitoring and random drug testing.
The Friday arrest came after a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators searched Faucher’s home and took him into custody.
Faucher is listed as pastor emeritus on Saint Mary’s Catholic Church website. The Diocese of Boise issued a statement expressing shock at Faucher’s arrest but has not suspended the retired priest from his position.
It is unclear if there have been previous allegations against Faucher. Before working in Idaho for decades, Faucher served as a Catholic priest in Greenbelt, Maryland; Kirkcudbright, Scotland; Shropshire, England; and Sisters, Oregon. He may also have worked in Anchorage, Alaska.
According to one news report, investigators found an open electronic chat with another individual that apparently had been going on for quite some time. Most disturbingly, Faucher allegedly wrote in an online chatroom that he “desires to rape and kill children,” according to Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Cathy Guzman. The hundreds of images seized allegedly contain children as young as infants and toddlers “being subjected to different acts of abuse and torture.”
If you or a loved one have any knowledge of Faucher’s criminal activity or have been harmed by him, please contact local law enforcement officials in Boise, Idaho.