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The Vatican arrested a former high-ranking diplomat from the Holy See’s Washington embassy who was also wanted by Windsor police for allegedly uploading and distributing child pornography at a local church.

Monsignor Carlo Capella was arrested Saturday.

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A statement from the Vatican said Capella was being held at the gendarmerie barracks inside the Vatican.

His arrest followed an investigation opened by the Vatican last fall.

Windsor police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Capella, 50, last September on charges of accessing child pornography, possessing child pornography and distributing child pornography.

Capella allegedly uploaded child porn from a social networking site while visiting “a place of worship” in Windsor during the 2016 Christmas holiday.

Capella was recalled from the U.S. embassy by the Vatican last fall. He was recalled after the State Department notified the Vatican of a possible violation of law relating to child pornography and involving one of its Washington diplomats.

The State Department asked the Vatican to waive Capella’s diplomatic immunity so that he could be prosecuted in the U.S. but the Vatican refused and he returned to Italy.

A Windsor Police spokesman for the major crimes unit had no information about Capella’s arrest noting the file would be handled by the Internet Child Exploitation unit. No one from that unit was available to comment Saturday.

mcaton@postmedia.com