Paedophile priest apologises to victims
Monday, June 28 2010 @ 08:40 PM BST
Views: 168
Tag: australia By Rebecca Brice
A former Catholic priest tried to bribe his way out of an Indonesian jail while facing child sex charges, the Adelaide District Court has heard.
Charles Alfred Barnett, 69, was arrested in Indonesia in 2008, three decades after he abused the first of four teenage boys in South Australia's mid-north.
Story Continues below
His lawyer told the court Barnett spent a year in horrendous conditions in jail in Jakarta, despite paying $32,000 to be released on home detention so he could sort out his business affairs before extradition.
Judge Paul Rice said the payment amounted to a bribe.
In statements read to the court, Barnett's victims called him a despicable monster and spoke of feeling betrayed by the Catholic Church.
Barnett apologised and acknowledged a jail sentence was inevitable.
He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing in August.
Tag: charles-alfred-barnett
Tag: south-australia
Tag: adelaide
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/20...ion=justin
