Former Farmington Priest Pleads Guilty To Sex Crimes From 1970s

FARMINGTON, MI — A former priest at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Farmington pleaded guilty to several sex crime charges Monday, Attorney General Dana Nessel's office said.

Gary Berthiaume, 79, pleaded guilty to Judge James Brady in Oakland County’s 47th District Court on two counts of second-degree CSC and and no content to one count of gross indecency, the news release said.

Charges for second-degree criminal sexual conduct could be punishable by up to 15 years in prison, while the gross indecency charge carries a 5-year felony or $2,500 fine.

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All three charges stem from the 1970s in three separate cases, in which Berthiaume sexually abused three different victims who were between 13 and 15-years-old at the time, while he was a priest at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Farmington and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wyandotte, the news release said.

"This plea secures long-awaited justice for those who bravely came forward with their stories," Nessel said. "My clergy abuse investigation team continues to work tirelessly to reach similar outcomes in our additional cases."

Berthiaume's sentencing is set for Dec. 20, the news release said.