The jury found the priest guilty, who was sentenced to a sentence of almost eight years in prison for three crimes of sexual assaul

A Catholic priest was sentenced to almost eight years in prison for the sexual abuse of a woman from his parish in South Florida in 2018 , who considered him as if he were family, local media reported.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, said during the trial that ended in late October that one day he was with Father Jean Claude Philippe in the rectory of the Sacred Heart Church in Homestead , south of Miami, he offered her some tea and hours later she woke up in a half- naked bed .

According to the woman, the 67-year-old priest was on top of her, who was only wearing her underwear .

The jury, made up exclusively of women, found Philippe guilty on October 29, and Judge Carmen Cabarga sentenced him to almost eight years in prison for three crimes of sexual assault.

The convicted priest had officiated at the victim’s marriage and was godfather to her child, according to Local 10 television.

The woman, who is Spanish-speaking, later told another priest that Philippe had betrayed her trust and in 2019 the complaint reached the Archbishop of Miami , Thomas Wenski , who removed him from his position in the parish and gave him administrative leave.

Under police questioning, Philippe admitted to undressing the woman and giving her an oil massage.

However, before the jury found him guilty , the priest took the stand to defend himself, admitting that he invited the woman to his home in the church rectory in October 2018.

He also acknowledged that he was with her in bed and gave her an oil massage and that the woman was only wearing her underwear, but denied drugging her with tea and abusing her.

Philippe also denied the woman’s accusations and claimed that she rather wanted to force him to do so.

After hearing the sentence , the victim expressed relief and the priest’s defense lawyer said that if it had not been for what he said during the police interrogation, there would have been no evidence to try Philippe.