Argentine priest gets 15 years prison for sex abuse

By Hilary Burke

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - A well-known Argentine priest was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually abusing a boy at his "Happy Children" foundation, in the latest pedophilia case to hit the Roman Catholic Church.

After a nine-month trial, a court in a Buenos Aires suburb found Father Julio Grassi guilty of sexually abusing one boy during the 1990s but absolved him of molesting two others.

Leftist protesters waving signs calling Grassi a rapist demonstrated outside the tribunal, scuffling with the priest's supporters in the street after the verdict was given.

"I'm astounded, frozen and embittered by this," Grassi, 52, told a local television station.

A media-savvy priest known for founding the "Felices los Ninos" foundation for poor and troubled youth, Grassi has always proclaimed his innocence.

His lawyer vowed to appeal the verdict.

Prosecutors said they were considering an appeal on behalf of the two plaintiffs whose sexual abuse accusations were dropped. They complained that the court did not order Grassi's imprisonment while any appeals are pending.

"The risks are clear, all the expert findings indicate that this person can't control his sexuality ... the court has decided to allow a known pedophile, in charge of a foundation for children, to remain free. It's nonsense," said Juan Pablo Gallego, a lawyer supporting the plaintiffs' case.