Priest jailed for sexually abusing girl 50 years ago

● Father regularly attacked 12-year-old girl over while her mother was in house

A priest who was exposed as a pervert when his victim confronted him 50 years after he molested her has been jailed for six months.

Father Michael Maher, 74, attacked the girl when she was 12 and abused her in her own living room while her mother was in the house. Maher was close friends with the girl’s parents and regularly called at their Lanarkshire home.

The offences started in 1968 when he was 25 and continued for four years but stopped when the girl was 15.

The victim kept the ordeal secret until she told her husband after Maher conducted Mass for her parent’s wedding anniversary but did not contact police due to the “high regard” they had for him.

However, after her father died and her mother’s health failed she contacted him by email in 2016 and told him she had not forgotten his attacks.

Maher, who was the parish priest for St Isidore’s, in Biggar, Lanarkshire, confessed his guilt and contacted church officials to resign.

Maher, of Stobo, Peeblesshire, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour against the girl between February 1968 and February 1972.

0 Michael Maher apologised to his victim and begged for her forgiveness

He has now been put behind bars by Sheriff Thomas Millar who labelled Maher’s conduct “abhorrent”.

Depute fiscal Morag Mcclintock told the court Maher molested his victim in her parent’s bedroom before lying on top of her and simulating sexual intercourse.

Maher, who was ordained in 1968, also brought the girl to his parish house in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, where he kissed her and also lay on top of her. Ms Mcclintock said increased publicity over historic sexual abuse prompted the woman to contact Maher and led to his email confession.

She said: “The accused indicated he had always expected an email from the complainer and part of the email read, ‘I am so sorry for the hurt and pain I caused you, and still do, and all the harm done to you and to your family and I beg your forgiveness.’”

Ms Mcclintock said the 62-year-old had been left damaged by her torment.

She added: “She attributed the failure of relationships and her first marriage to the abuse. She never got over the abuse and blamed it for ruining her childhood.

“She felt she was thrown into an adult life when she was too young and as a result did not understand the sexual and emotional feelings.”

Sentencing Maher, Sheriff Millar told him: “The sexual abuse of children is abhorrent.”