Feb 26, 2019

Vatican treasurer George Pell convicted of child sexual assault

Khorri Atkinson

Cardinal George Pell. Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

A jury in Melbourne, Australia, has found Vatican treasurer George Pell guilty of child sex offenses, making him the highest ranking Catholic Church official to go to trial and be convicted for sex abuse, the BBC reports.

Details: The 77-year-old cardinal was on trial in December for sexually abusing two choir boys in the late 1990s. The verdict was delivered at the time, but couldn't be reported until Monday due to Australian procedural laws. Pell will be sentenced Wednesday, and his defense team plans to appeal the conviction.

Go deeper: The stunning scale of the global Catholic sex abuse crisis

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