ARIZONA
East Valley Tribune
By Gary Grado, Tribune
Mesa priest convicted of giving a teenager sexually motivated massages will ride a wave of support into court Friday for his sentencing.
Thirty-six Queen of Peace parishioners, former colleagues and lifelong friends wrote Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens, urging she go easy on the Rev. Karl LeClaire, 48.
LeClaire, former pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mesa, pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to sexually motivated aggravated assault and agreed to a sentence of three years’ probation.
Stephens can also throw him in the county jail for up to a year.
Many of LeClaire’s supporters said in letters that he was wrongfully accused, one going so far as to say L eClaire’s accuser was the son the priest would never have.