CALIFORNIA
Merced Sun-Star
BY ROB PARSONS
rparsons@mercedsunstar.com
A former Los Banos parish priest who was caught with child pornography was given four years of probation and the chance to avoid jail time during his sentencing hearing Tuesday.
The Rev. Robert E. Gamel, former lead priest of St. Joseph Church, also will be required to register as a sex offender for life, Merced County Judge Harry L. Jacobs ruled.
Gamel, 66, is expected to ask the Merced County Sheriff’s Office to convert an 11-month jail sentence to an alternative program, which would allow him to serve his sentence without spending any time behind bars. He was ordered to report to the Merced County jail on June 27.
Gamel, widely known in the community as “Father Bob,” led the St. Joseph parish for about five years before his removal in December 2014.
He pleaded guilty in March to a single felony count of possession of child pornography.
According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by the Sun-Star, Gamel searched the Internet and found a nude photograph of a teenage boy from his parish.
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