A 70-year old retired Roman Catholic priest was sentenced Tuesday in court to five years in prison. Maurice Joseph Praught pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation for incidents dating back to the early 1990s that involved a teenage boy. Praught was arrested last year following an investigation by police that was launched after the Diocese of Charlottetown reported the allegations.
On Tuesday, Joseph Dabrowski, Bishop of the Diocese of Charlottetown, issued a statement expressing his deep regret for what he calls “the reprehensible acts of sexual abuse committed by Father Maurice Praught.” The Bishop apologized to the victim and his family for the abuse, pain and harm that was perpetrated by Father Praught, and offered his most earnest apology for the failures of the Church.
