Catholic priest jailed for abusing teen in Perth in the 1980s

By Joanna Menagh
ABC News
October 15, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-15/catholic-priest-jailed-for-abusing-teen/5815892

A Catholic priest has been sentenced to 22 months' jail for sexually abusing a teenage boy while was working in Perth 30 years ago.

Father Glenn Humphreys, 61, was found guilty by a District Court jury of four charges of molesting the 15-year-old boy in the 1980s.

The court heard the boy had gone with his mother, a devout Catholic, to the Church where Humphreys was an assistant priest.

Some of the offences took place in the Church's presbytery, and another at Quinns Rocks where the two had gone on holidays.

The court was told the victim would visit Humphreys in his quarters and they would smoke cigarettes and listen to Barbara Streisand songs.

Judge Phillip Eaton said "it does seem to me it was an inappropriate relationship promoted by you".

Humphreys' lawyer Seamus Rafferty submitted that the crimes were a result of his client's "immaturity" because he had entered a seminary when he was 17 years old and was ordained as a priest six years later.

However Judge Eaton said Humphreys was twice the age of his victim.

"You are a well educated and intelligent individual ... and would have been well aware that what you were indulging in was grossly inappropriate," he said.

The Catholic Church was made aware of the abuse in 2012, and Humphrey's gave the victim a letter of apology admitting that he had done "inappropriate, improper and wrong things".

The court heard the church banned Humphreys from having any unsupervised contact with children. His recent work involved assisting elderly priests.

Judge Eaton accepted that Humphreys was remorseful but told him "your conduct ... was substantially for your own sexual gratification with no thought for a 15-year-old boy".

"Your treatment of him has left him in a condition of emotional turmoil."

Humphreys will have to serve 11 months before he can be released on parole.