A former Pennsylvania politician has been convicted of indecent assault after admitting that he fondled the breasts of his 103-year-old mother-in-law suffering from dementia — the “biggest mistake” of his life, he said.

William Spingler, former commissioner of Radnor Township, said during a hearing Thursday that the “stupid, harmless act” has destroyed his life, the Delaware County Daily Times reports.

“I mean, my reputation is destroyed, my business is destroyed,” said Spingler, 75. “It was just something that I shouldn’t have done.”

Spingler, a Democrat who stepped down from the Radnor Board of Commissioners in 2015, admitted fondling his mother-in-law at a nursing home on two occasions in December, but denied making any sexual contact on a third occasion.

Spingler told Philly.com in January from his real estate office in Paoli that he had cared for the woman since his first wife — the woman’s daughter — died in 2007. She lived with him for eight years until she was placed in a nursing home in Radnor when her dementia worsened.

“I wasn’t sexually assaulting my mother-in-law, who I respect and love,” Spingler told Philly.com. “My intent was to hug her and love her and let her know I was there. That’s all I was doing.”

Spingler said the woman usually recognized him during his visits to the nursing home, but that changed after a birthday party on Dec. 8. One week later, Spingler admitted touching the woman’s breast for “shock value,” or to alert her to his presence, he said.

“I got nothing, no recognition out of her and I made the biggest mistake of my life,” he said. “I thought for shock value, you know, I could get her to say something, let her know I was there. I touched her breast. It was the dumbest thing I ever did, but I did it to get her attention and let her know that I was there.”

Spingler admitted fondling the woman again on Dec. 17, but claimed no sexual contact took place during a third visit on Dec. 23. Both incidents Spingler admitted to occurred in the dining hall beneath a blanket draped over the woman’s chest as reported to police by employees at the nursing home, the Delaware County Daily Times reports.

Radnor Township Police Chief William Colarulo testified that Spingler told him he already knew about the details of the allegations when he arrested the former politician.

“(Spingler said) ‘I know what this is about. This is about me rubbing (the victim’s) breasts. I do it to get her going,’” said Colarulo. “That’s exactly what he said. ‘I do it to get her going.’ … He said, ‘When I see her, I’ll kiss her on the mouth, I’ll rub her breasts to make her feel good about herself. Sometimes she says “no,” but that’s all it is, that’s all there is to it.’ Something to that effect.”

Spingler, who remains free on $10,000 bail, is due to be sentenced on Sept. 28 pending evaluations by psychologists and the state’s Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine whether he’s a sexually violent predator.