Ananova:

A Catholic priest has been convicted of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old boy who had turned to him for help and guidance.

Father Michael Hobbs, 53, who admitted during the four-day trial at St Albans Crown Court in Hertfordshire that he had cruised gay bars in Thailand for male sexual company last year, denied assaulting the youngster in February.

But the jury of eight men and four women convicted him of the sexual assault after more than four-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

The court heard that Fr Hobbs, originally from Dublin, had been ordained into the Roman Catholic church 13 years ago and came to England to work as a parish priest in Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

On February 25, his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to the priest's home in Gadebridge Road seeking reassurance and comfort after a family row. After watching a film together, the boy was led into Father Hobbs's bedroom. where they hugged and kissed and where the priest performed a sexual act on the naked boy.

Giving evidence by video link, the boy said the experience left him feeling "sick, dirty and crying".

Under cross-examination by Ian Wade, prosecuting, Fr Hobbs, who was of previous good character, admitted "being homosexual in nature, but not in practice" as his vow of celibacy strictly prohibited him engaging in any sexual activity.

He said the boy had concocted the allegations to divert his parents' anger away from him after they discovered he had stolen a family ring and given it to his girlfriend for a St Valentine's Day present.

He said he had hugged and kissed the boy to give him reassurance but said nothing of a sexual nature had occurred between them that night.

Judge Findlay Baker QC adjourned sentencing until October 4 and granted Fr Hobbs bail on condition he resides at an undisclosed address in Middlesex and surrenders his passport. The judge said: "An offence of this sort is clearly one which leads in the absence of extraordinary mitigation to a sentence of imprisonment."