Priest jailed 75 days for child abuse

An Episcopal priest who pled guilty in April to two counts of child abuse will only serve 75 days in jail for his crimes.

Last week a Maryland court handed down a 10-year suspended sentence to the Rev Donald Belcher for molesting an eight-year old girl in 2010, and for molesting a 15-year-old girl in 2006 while serving as an associate for pastoral care at St Mary’s Church in Abingdon, Maryland.

The Newark Post reported that at the sentencing hearing the Assistant State’s Attorney asked that Mr Belcher be jailed for nine to 19 years. However, the judge had stated he would hand down a suspended term of imprisonment if a pre-sentencing investigation revealed no other criminal activities in Mr Belcher’s past.

The 82-year-old priest was subsequently released from custody, having served 75 days in the county jail while awaiting sentencing. He must serve five years of supervised probation, register as a sex offender and may have no unsupervised contact with minors.

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