Former Greeley Minister Faces Child Porn Charges
THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4) - A former minister now living in Thornton is facing child pornography charges.
The federal indictment against Richard Craft, 68 was unsealed Wednesday. He is charged with distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
Craft had been an interim minister at the Family of Christ Presbyterian Church In Greeley and last served there in 2009.
A conviction on all counts would mean up to 70 years in prison and $1 million in fines.
CBS4 discovered Wednesday that people in the the neighborhood had heard rumors for years that Craft was a pedophile and that parents have been trying to protect their children from him.
Lance Zamora, a neighbor, told CBS4 police came to the home of Craft and his wife about two years ago and took away computer equipment.
"It started coming out in the neighborhood that he was possibly involved in some child pornography, and that some neighborhood kids' names might have been mentioned in his blog," he said.
"If he's found guilty what kind of punishment would you like to see?" CBS4's Tom Mustin asked Gretchen DeWald, another neighbor who said Craft and his wife have always seemed like nice people.
"I would like to see him not around kids at all and if that means he's incarcerated as much as I'd hate for that to happen to him, we have to protect kids."
Neighbor Melissa Smith, who has five children, said the situation is "very scary."
"I hope none of my children are part of anything that they find."
Craft is due back in federal court on Friday. Officials with Family of Christ Presbyterian Church so far haven't returned CBS4's calls.
