A Polish court convicted a Roman Catholic priest Friday of sexually abusing six young girls during a decade-long period and imposed a two-year suspended prison sentence.
The regional court in the southern town of Krosno also barred the Rev. Michal Moskwa, 64, from teaching jobs for eight years.
The prison term was suspended for five years.
Accusations against Moskwa, who served in the nearby village of Tylawa for 38 years and taught religion classes, first surfaced three years ago. His trial began in October.
Moskwa acknowledged fondling and kissing the children, who were under 15, between 1991 and 2001 but denied that he acted for sexual pleasure. Presiding Judge Piotr Wojtowicz, however, said witnesses confirmed the allegations.
"The testimony of the victims is coherent, and was confirmed by experts," Wojtowicz said.
Moskwa listened calmly to the verdict and refused to comment afterward, saying he was "too tired."
His lawyers said they would appeal.
There was no immediate comment from church leaders in Poland, the homeland of Pope John Paul II. Moskwa was suspended last year and then retired.
In a closed-door trial last year, a court in central Poland sentenced a priest to three years in prison for sexually abusing young boys. That was believed to be the country's first such conviction of a clergyman.