The offender, a Catholic parish priest, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent assault upon boys aged 9 to 13 under s. 156 of the Criminal Code.
The offences involved grooming altar boys and assaulting them during overnight stays, often after cultivating trust with their families.
The court emphasized the profound breach of trust and long‑term harm to victims and the community, including loss of faith and enduring psychological consequences.
Although the offender was elderly, had no prior record, and was assessed as low risk for recidivism, denunciation and deterrence were held to be the predominant sentencing objectives in cases involving sexual abuse of children by persons in authority.
A custodial sentence totalling nine months followed by three years of probation was imposed along with several ancillary orders.
