PARIS: The jury of the central French department of Loiret sentenced a former priest to 17 years in prison for hundreds of cases of violence and sexual abuse, Sputnik quoted French media reports.

The defendant unequivocally admitted hundreds of incidents of sexual abuse of young boys over a period of more than ten years, the BFMTV broadcaster reported on Saturday.

The 64-year-old will not be eligible for parole for 10 years, the report read, adding that the court examined cases of abuse committed from 1990 to 2002. - Bernama, Sputnik