The offender, an 80-year-old former priest, was convicted of three counts of historical indecent assault against three altar boys between 1969 and 1974.
The Crown sought 18 months' incarceration, while the defence sought a conditional sentence.
The court considered the aggravating factors of multiple child victims and breach of trust, alongside mitigating factors including the offender's age, lack of criminal record, and low risk of reoffending.
The court concluded that the specific facts of the case, involving less intrusive touching compared to other cases, warranted a 12-month conditional sentence followed by 18 months of probation, along with DNA and sex offender registry orders.
