A grandfather convicted of molesting his grandson the day before his sixth birthday will not be sent to prison because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 76-year-old man, given the pseudonym of RC to protect the identity of his victim, was convicted in the District Court in July last year of twice digitally penetrating the five-year-old's bottom.

The Court of Criminal Appeal did not sentence RC to prison, despite finding a community corrections order insufficient. Credit:Louie Douvis

RC, a former public servant who also trained for five years as a priest, was then sentenced to an 18-month community order for sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years.

The Court of Criminal Appeal unanimously found this week that the sentence imposed by Justice Justin Smith SC was "manifestly inadequate".