PETERBOROUGH, Ont. — Bringing a hooker to church after hours, stealing from its petty funds to pay her and then claiming he’d been attacked and robbed, was the “worst decision of his life” said a Peterborough man, sentenced Friday.

James Chatten blamed a sex addiction for his actions last July 22.

He was ordered to 100 hours of community service to avoid a criminal record.

Chatten, 46, said he was struggling with a sex addiction when he hired an escort and brought her to the Christian Horizons church for a tryst.

He took $116.06 from church coffers to settle up.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to replace it before anyone noticed, so he called police, to tell them he was taking out the garbage when an assailant attacked him from behind, forced him into the building and made him open the church safe.

Justice Rhys Morgan, outlining the facts in the case, said police initially believed Chatten but became increasingly suspicious.

That’s when he owned up to what happened.

Chatten pleaded guilty to theft and public mischief at an earlier court date.

He also repaid the church.