Russian priest sentenced to 18 years in prison over sexual molestation of minors

Russian priest sentenced to 18 years in prison over sexual molestation of minors

Russian priest sentenced to 18 years in prison over sexual molestation of minors
Hieromonk Spiridon from the Jewish Autonomous Region was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexual molestation of more than 50 boys.  His assistant (a bell ringer) also was sentenced to imprisonment.

Spiridon (Yuri Abramov) will serve his sentence in a strict regime colony - there are 51 cases of child molestation committed by him.  What is more, the priest was banned for teaching activities for 8 years.

His accomplice, the bell ringer (Sergei Moos), was sentenced to 12 years of strict regime, and banned from teaching for 7 years.  According to ‘RIA Novosti’, Moos molested 5 boys.  There were 53 crimes in total, two of which were committed by the hieromonk and the bell ringer together.
The defendants partially admitted their guilt.
Abramov was the rector of the temple of the holy prophet Elijah in the village of Amurzet in the Jewish Autonomous Region.  The priest was detained in 2019 - one of the local residents turned to the law enforcement officers with assumptions about his activities.  As a result of the search at Abramov's place, many items of a ‘non-spiritual nature’ were found.

Abramov has been working with children since 2007.  The investigation also found that the bell ringer of the temple helped to molest the boys.  The media, citing its own sources, reports that Abramov was found guilty under six articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, including sexual intercourse with minors and sodomy.  The bell ringer Moos was found guilty under only one article - violent acts of a sexual nature against minors.
In ten episodes, Abramov took alcohol and drugs together with children.
He also made pornography and coerced minors into sex.  The Russian Orthodox Church removed Abramov from the ministries and called for an investigation of the case.

08.11.2021