Court heard a man reported a historical sexual assault at the Alexandria OPP detachment in January 2019.
The first assault happened in the sacristy of the church, where the victim recounted wearing brown pants and fearing the accused.
The second incident happened during the same summer in 1976 but this time it occurred in the rectory of the Green Valley church.
While Deslauriers was originally charged with two counts of indecent assault on a male, the finding of guilt on one count covering both assaults would allow for the Crown and defence to have a national sex offender registry designation for 20 years.
Crown attorney Victoria Lazenby says the public will view this as a lenient sentence given the significant breach of trust by the priest.
A victim impact statement read before the court shows the victim suffers from fear of authority figures, shame for what happened to him, and the ordeal has affected his intimacy with his female partner since memories of the assault resurfaced in January 2018.
Zaia added that this resolution should be a mitigating factor in the case because it spared the victim the “rigors of cross examination” as many as three times in a preliminary hearing and a trial, especially during a pandemic.
Deslauriers, 85, lives in Vercheres, Que., with a roommate who is also a retired priest.
“I can say this to all concerned, I would have liked to finish this case today.
Based on the Crown’s submission, the suspended sentence will see Deslauriers on probation for two years but he won’t have to report to a probation officer.