Roman Catholic Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, accused of sexually abusing young men in northern Argentina, sits in court, in Oran, Argentina February 21, 2022. Judiciary of Salta/Handout via REUTERS
Roman Catholic Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, accused of sexually abusing young men in northern Argentina, sits in court, in Oran, Argentina February 21, 2022. Judiciary of Salta/Handout via REUTERS Reuters / JUDICIARY OF SALTA

A Catholic bishop accused of sexually abusing young men studying to be priests was found guilty by a court in northern Argentina on Friday, capping over a week of often graphic testimony in the latest sex crimes criminal case to hit the global church.

Gustavo Zanchetta, the former bishop of Oran in the northern province of Salta, was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for the crimes, according to a statement from the court

Zanchetta, who had denied all charges in both the criminal trial as well as a Vatican cannon law investigation, had been a prominent member of the Church and had helped lead a key financial and accounting office in the Vatican.