ST. LOUIS, MO – October 6, 2026 (STL.News) A former St. Louis Catholic priest who served federal prison time after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography has been arrested and detained in a federal supervised-release proceeding.
William F. Vatterott was arrested September 23, 2026, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The arrest occurred more than 13 years after Vatterott pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and received a 37-month federal prison sentence.
The latest proceeding is part of Vatterott’s original federal criminal case, United States v. William F. Vatterott, No. 4:13-cr-00161-MTS.
William F. Vatterott detained after federal arrest
Vatterott appeared Sept. 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph S. Dueker for an initial appearance concerning revocation of supervised release.
According to the federal court’s docket entry, Vatterott was advised of his rights and indicated that he understood them.
He waived a preliminary hearing.
The docket states that, based on Vatterott’s waiver, the court found probable cause to believe he violated the conditions of his supervised release.
Vatterott also waived a detention hearing and was ordered detained.
The court recorded his location as being in custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman appeared for the government, while attorney Charles Billings represented Vatterott.
Federal prosecutors also filed a motion for pre-hearing detention in connection with the revocation proceeding.
Supervised-release petition filed
The federal docket contains an “Unrestricted Petition for Offender Under Supervision” as Document 65 in Vatterott’s case.
A warrant associated with the supervised-release violation petition was returned executed Sept. 22, according to a docket entry filed Sept. 24.
The federal docket records Vatterott’s arrest date as Sept. 23.
The publicly searchable docket text identifies the petition but does not reproduce its factual allegations.
For that reason, STL.News is not reporting that Vatterott committed a new child-pornography offense, sexual offense, or other new crime.
The current federal proceeding concerns an alleged violation of supervised release. Based on the records reviewed for this report, it is not a new criminal conviction.
Complaints surfaced against William F. Vatterott in 2011
Vatterott’s history with the Archdiocese of St. Louis and law enforcement dates to 2011.
On July 1, 2011, the St. Louis Review published a statement from the Archdiocese saying it had learned four days earlier, on June 27, of complaints involving Vatterott.
Two teenagers reported what the Archdiocese described as “inappropriate electronic communications” from Vatterott.
Another teenager, who was 18 at the time, reported an incident involving underage drinking and other inappropriate behavior.
The Archdiocese said none of the reported complaints involved physical contact or solicitation.
It also said it had presented the reports to law enforcement for investigation.
Vatterott was placed on administrative leave while investigators looked into the matter.
At the time, Vatterott had served as pastor of St. Cecilia Parish since January 2008. He previously had been an associate pastor at Holy Infant Parish in Ballwin.
Federal indictment followed in 2013
Almost two years later, Vatterott faced a federal criminal charge.
On April 24, 2013, a federal grand jury indicted Vatterott on one felony count of possession of child pornography.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Vatterott possessed child pornography between June 2010 and June 2011.
Then-U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said the Archdiocese of St. Louis cooperated with the investigation.
Federal prosecutors said the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and an investigator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Livergood handled the prosecution.
The indictment was returned as an accusation. Vatterott subsequently admitted guilt.
William F. Vatterott pleaded guilty
On Aug. 30, 2013, William F. Vatterott pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of child pornography.
Senior U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber sentenced him to 37 months in federal prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the offense involved Vatterott’s possession of child pornography between June 2010 and June 2011.
Federal prosecutors identified the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group, and U.S. Attorney’s Office investigator Donya Jackson as investigators in the case.
Livergood prosecuted the case.
Unlike the allegations involved in the current supervised-release proceeding, Vatterott’s possession of child pornography is an established federal conviction resulting from his guilty plea.
New attorney enters case
Vatterott’s representation changed following his September arrest.
On Sept. 28, attorney Matthew A. Radefeld filed a motion seeking to substitute as Vatterott’s attorney.
Radefeld formally entered an appearance for Vatterott on Oct. 1, according to the federal docket.
Final revocation hearing
Vatterott is scheduled to return to federal court later this month.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp issued an order Sept. 28 setting a final supervised-release revocation hearing for Oct. 28, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.
The hearing is scheduled for Courtroom 16-South at the federal courthouse in St. Louis.
The hearing will address the pending supervised-release matter.
Until the court resolves that proceeding, the alleged supervised-release violation should be distinguished from Vatterott’s established 2013 conviction.
The federal record establishes that Vatterott was arrested, brought before a magistrate judge, waived his preliminary and detention hearings, and was ordered detained.
The publicly searchable docket does not, however, provide the factual allegations contained in the underlying supervision petition.
STL.News will continue monitoring the federal case as the Oct. 28 hearing approaches.
Federal case: United States v. William F. Vatterott, No. 4:13-cr-00161-MTS, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
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