Idaho appellate court upholds ex-priest prison sentence

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A former Boise priest convicted of possessing violent and extreme child pornography will be sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, an appellate court ruled.

William "Tom" Faucher, 74, was sentenced in December 2018 without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to distribution of sexually exploitative material, possession of sexually exploitative materials and drug possession, the Idaho Statesman reported.

Faucher appealed the ruling, arguing that the sentence was excessive and that the court failed to look at multiple circumstances, including his age, physical and mental infirmities, his community support, his alcohol abuse and lack of criminal history.

The Idaho Court of Appeals disagreed, arguing the District Court considered those factors "at length."

Faucher had more than 2,000 photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse on his computer and phone, prosecutors said, adding that there was evidence that he also had online conversations about wanting to rape and kill children.

Some of the evidence was simply Faucher engaging in role playing, his defense attorney said.

In October, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise announced Faucher was stripped of his priest title and banned from serving as a member of the clergy.

Faucher remains in custody at the Idaho State Correctional Center in Kuna.