Argentine ex-archbishop sentenced to 8 years

The former archbishop of the Argentine province of Santa Fe has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

BUENOS AIRES, December 30, 2009 (AFP) - The former archbishop of the Argentine province of Santa Fe has been sentenced to eight years in prison for "aggravated sexual abuse" against a young seminarian, a court source said Wednesday.

Judge Maria Mascheroni said Edgardo Storni, now 73, took advantage of his access to and authority over the young seminarian when the crime was committed in 1992 while he was archbishop.

Under Argentine law, Storni will serve out his sentence under house arrest because he is more than 70 years old.

His attorney said he would appeal, charging that the sentence followed a court conviction based on unsubstantiated "rumors, accusation and suspicions."

Storni, who has maintained his innocence, resigned as archbishop in 2002 amid a swirl of allegations that he had abused numerous young clerics under his authority.