Priest Pleads Guilty to Five More Charges

By Diane Crocker
Western Star
October 2, 2012

http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2012-10-02/article-3088442/Priest-pleads-guilty-to-five-more-charges/1

Roman Catholic priest George Ansel Smith pleaded guilty to five more sex charges in Supreme Court in Corner Brook on Monday.

That brings the total of guilty pleas to 40 out of the 70 offences the 74-year-old priest has been charged with. All the incidents involved young boys.

Smith wasn’t present for the court appearance.?The pleas were entered on his behalf by Ian Patey, who was acting as agent for Smith’s lawyer, Tom Williams.

The guilty pleas were entered on four counts of indecent assault and one count of assault that occurred between 1968 and 1976. Two of the charges involve incidents that took place in Nova Scotia, while the other three occurred in Newfoundland, one incident in St. Fintan’s and two in Corner Brook.

Three charges of gross indecency were withdrawn by the Crown.

Facts and sentencing on the five charges and the 35 others that Smith pleaded guilty to in September has been set for Jan. 22, 2013.

The western Newfoundland communities where Smith once served as a priest include, Port Saunders, Corner Brook, Stephenville, St. Fintan's, Cape St. George and Deer Lake.

There is a court-ordered publication ban in place against any information that may identify any of the victims or witnesses in this case.