Following Fr. Dennis Carey's Death, Lawyer Requests Case Be Dismissed

Fr. Dennis Carey, the former pastor of St. Paul Church in Waterford accused of possession of child pornography, died last week—but he will have a final day in court. 

At the request of his attorney, Ronald Stevens, of Niantic Law firm Stevens, Harris, Guernsey & Quilliam, the case is scheduled to go before New London Superior Court Judge Handy on Friday. Stevens said he will be presenting a death certificate and asking that the case be dismissed, as is standard procedure when an accused dies before the case can go to trial. 

Carey turned himself in to State Police Troop E on July 2, 2012, where he was charged with possession of child pornography in the first degree. The charges came as a result of an investigation that began almost exactly a year ago after the Connecticut State Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children was alerted to a possible Connecticut suspect in a case that was being investigated by the agency's counterpart in California. 

Carey resigned from the church and was released after posting a $100,000 bond. He had entered a plea of "not guilty," but had said publicly that he wanted to get help. The 66-year-old Carey had been in failing health after he suffered a stroke a couple of months ago. Stevens said Carey died of cardiac arrest on May 20 at St. Mary Home rehabilitation center in West Hartford. 

Stevens said the court is very likely to drop the charges. 

"They obvious can’t proceed against him," he said. "It’s a sad event that he died. It was a difficult case." 

In this case there were no known victims waiting for their day in court to testify against Carey. "No one ever made any claims that there was anything done to any children," Stevens said.  

"All I can say is, 'It's done!'" writes St. Paul in Chains parishioner Andrea Kanfer in an email to Patch. Although, as she also noted, it's not over for everyone. 

"I just keep thinking of and praying for all those kids, who are forced into that business, who have no voice," she said.