vicnews.com
Published: July 17, 2013 4:00 PM
Updated: July 17, 2013 4:18 PM
Phil Jacobs, the former Saanich priest who earlier this year was convicted of touching a young person for a sexual purpose, will be sentenced Friday (July 19) in Supreme Court in Victoria.
The guilty charge stems from a witness testimony regarding tutoring sessions at Jacobs’ house on the grounds of St. Joseph the Worker Parish on Burnside Road West. The witness said he ended up in a position of laying on the couch with his legs over Jacobs’ lap.
During testimony in December, the young man told the court that Jacobs’ right hand would slide up and down the witness’s left thigh over his pants – “he went from my knee to my groin back and forth … the back of his hand touched my genitals.”
Gropper agreed with the Crown’s assertion that Jacobs’ touching of the victim’s genitals was “deliberate,” and not accidental brushing.
Jacobs was a priest at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in from 1997 to 2002.
He could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years for the guilty count.
Visit vicnews.com on Friday for an update to this story.
– with files from Edward Hill
kslavin@saanichnews.com
A reminder that tomorrow is sentencing for this this recycled convicted clerical predator. I encourage those who can do so to attend.
I knew him personally for a few years while in seminary. He was my spiritual director, formation director, and head of the department of Philosophy. I am very interested in what the sentencing will be.
Jeff Bell from Victoria Times Colonist article:
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/world/victoria-priest-philip-jacobs-to-be-sentenced-sept-4-for-sexual-touching-conviction-1.544600
Have emailed Jeff & he said he as well as many others were expecting sentencing yesterday. But it was actually a “sentencing hearing” & delayed AGAIN. Sentencing is now supposed to be September 4, 2013.
In the article it states that Clare Jennings, prosecution is only asking for 4-6 months in jail!! What a joke. I will be contacting her to find out why she is asking for so little when he could get up to five years.
Hi Jacqueline,
I was hoping you’d be there. I was unable to be there and am trying to arrange to be there on the 4th as well. I’m wondering if you could contact me. I have also been in touch with Tess of chek news. I’d like to arrange a media event in support of all victims.
If any readers are interested in coming out to enjoy the tail end of a fabulous west coast summer, this is your invitation to come out and support victims!
Now that he has been found guilty, is there a process to have him defrocked? Probably it takes time but I wonder if anything has been initiated?