A Saskatchewan First Nation has accepted the resignation of — and has agreed to pay severance to — the ex-chief who sexually assaulted a teenage girl.

On Monday, the Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation announced it had accepted the resignation of Terry McArthur, 48.

The resignation was agreed to on July 30, 2013 and became effective Aug. 1, the band council said in a news release.

McArthur was sentenced last Wednesday to nine months in jail after having pleaded guilty previously.

Court heard McArthur, who was elected chief in 2011, inappropriately touched a girl in April 2012 when she was 16.

McArthur seeks non-jail sentence

After being sentenced, McArthur filed an appeal with the Court of Queen's Bench, saying the jail sentence was too harsh.

Instead of imposing jail time, McArthur argues, the judge should have gone along with the joint proposal of the Crown and defence lawyers for a 12-month conditional sentence that could be served in the community.

There's no date yet on when that appeal will be heard. In the meantime, McArthur wants to be let out of custody. He's currently at the Regina correctional centre.

Details of severance deal released

The band said it agreed July 30 to pay McArthur $47,625, which covers what he would have been paid for the remaining 15 months of his term, plus some additional severance. The money was to be paid out in installments.

However, the band leadership said Monday it will have to revisit the severance agreement "due to the fact that our small First Nation cannot afford the amount as previously agreed."

Byelection coming

Last week, the band said there would be no byelection to fill McArthur's position, but on Monday it said it had reconsidered the matter and a byelection will in fact be held at a date yet to be determined.

The band said the announcement about McArthur's resignation was not made public until Monday under the advice of legal counsel.

The Pheasant Rump reserve is located about 50 kilometres northwest of Carlyle.