Ex-Australian archbishop convicted of hiding child sex abuse ordered to 1 year on house arrest

The most senior Roman Catholic cleric convicted of covering up child sex abuse has been ordered by an Australian court to serve his 1-year sentence in home detention rather than jail.

Newcastle Magistrate Robert Stone on Tuesday ordered former Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson to be detained at his sister’s house for at least six months before he is eligible for parole.

Coverage of child sex abuse on Globalnews.ca:

1:03 U.S. cardinal steps down amid sex abuse scandal

• U.S. cardinal steps down amid sex abuse scandal
• Catholic Church to pay $210M to abuse victims
• Australian cardinal charged with multiple sex offences

Previous Video

Next Video

Wilson, 67, has denied the accusations and had refused to resign pending an appeal. But Pope Francis accepted Wilson’s resignation last month after mounting pressure including from the Australian prime minister.

Stone in May had found Wilson guilty of failing to report to police the repeated abuse of two altar boys by pedophile priest James Fletcher in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney during the 1970s.

READ MORE: Pope Francis accepts resignation of U.S. cardinal accused of sexual abuse