BALTIMORE, Md. — A former Catholic priest plead guilty and was sentenced on Wednesday for the sexual abuse of a minor in the mid-1970s at Gilman School.
According to a release from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Laurence LaPointe, 81, plead guilty to fourth-degree sex offense and common-law assault. He was sentenced to three years, all suspended, and five years of supervised probation.
LaPointe was temporarily assigned to the school as a chaplain and religious teacher at the time and invited the victim, a middle school student, to his on-campus apartment to play chess between 1967 and 1977.
It was at that apartment where LaPointe assaulted the victim during a game of "strip chess," and instructed him to not tell anyone about it.
The victim was in court for the plea, and spoke of the struggles he had with coming forward and sharing about the abuse.
"Today, finally, after nearly fifty years, the heavy burden of his actions and the lasting harm he has caused, passes from me to its rightful place. From this day forward, it is Laurence LaPointe’s obligation to bear the weight of what he did to an innocent child," he said.
LaPointe is ordered to have no direct with minors or volunteer in a setting involving minors, have no contact with the victim, and "undergo a psychosexual evaluation and follow any recommended treatment."
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