WINNIPEG—A former Orthodox priest convicted of molesting an altar boy has been sentenced to eight months in jail.

Seraphim Storheim was convicted earlier this year of sexually assaulting a boy who came to visit him in Winnipeg almost 30 years ago.

Justice Christopher Mainella called Storheim's actions deplorable and a gross breach of trust.

The 68-year-old was placed on leave when he was arrested in 2010 and retired following his conviction.

The Crown had asked for a 12-month jail sentence, arguing Storheim abused a position of trust, but his lawyer argued for a conditional sentence with no jail time.

At the time of the offence, Storheim was a priest in the Orthodox Church in America but later rose to archbishop — the church's highest-ranking cleric in Canada.