Ex-priest likely to walk free despite child sex abuse sentencing

A former priest who admitted sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys in the 1970s is likely to walk free from prison despite being jailed for 18 months.

77-year-old Patrick McCabe's sentence has been backdated to when he first went into custody in June 2011 following his extradition from Alameda, California, to meet these and other abuse charges.

James Moran was 13 years old when he was abused by Patrick McCabe in a car outside Newbridge College in Kildare.

When interviewed in 2007 by gardaí, the former priest described him as a handsome boy who had met the “requirements” of his “fetish”.

Thirty-six years on from the abuse the same victim has waived his right to anonymity to speak out about the damage the 77-year-old has done to his life.

Another boy was abused by McCabe in a house adjoining the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin at the time of the Pope's visit in 1979.

Today the former priest who has previous convictions, and is a subject of the Murphy Report on clerical abuse, apologised to his victims and asked for their forgiveness.

He held his head in his hands as Judge Margaret Heneghan imposed an 18-month sentence which has been backdated to June 2011 when he first went into custody.