A 41-year-old Catholic priest was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of having sexual intercourse with a minor on church grounds.

Justice Dale Palmer imposed the sentence: 12 years for sexual intercourse with a person under 16, and an additional five years for sexual touching, to run concurrently. The priest must serve at least eight years before becoming eligible for parole.

Court documents revealed that between March and April 2023, the priest engaged in sexual activity with a 12-year-old in his living quarters on the church compound.

The abuse was reported to the Police’s Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA), prompting an investigation that led to his arrest and subsequent conviction.