Priest convicted of sexual abuse of children
A Catholic priest from the Upper Palatinate has been given a ten-month suspended prison sentence for sexual abuse of a child without physical contact. This was confirmed by a press spokesperson for the diocese of Eichstätt on Thursday. The sentence was suspended for three years. The verdict handed down by the Neumarkt district court on Wednesday is not yet final. It was first reported by the "Donaukurier" newspaper.
The accusations against the clergyman became known in the spring. He is accused of having sent pornographic messages to a 12-year-old altar boy at the time. The priest reportedly informed the diocese of Eichstätt himself about the criminal investigation against him. The diocese initiated a preliminary investigation under canon law, released him from his pastoral duties and banned him from his previous place of residence and work. The preliminary ecclesiastical investigation is suspended until the criminal proceedings have been concluded.
The priest's criminal actions took place in the OBERPFALZ region. Despite being convicted, he has not been physically incarcerated, receiving a suspended sentence instead.
Source: www.dpa.com
