Silvio Berlusconi Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison For Paying Teenger, 'Ruby the Heart Stealer', For Sex At 'Bunga Bunga' Party [Video]

Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy, was sentenced to 7 years in prison today, after paying an underaged teenager, stage name Ruby, for sex at his notoriously lascivious "Bunga Bunga" parties.  

Silvio Berlusconi was the former Prime Minister of Italy, but today, he became a convicted felon after he was found guilty of paying an underaged Moroccan teenager, Karima El Mahroug, aka "Ruby the Heart Stealer," for sex, reports the Daily Mail. 

Berlusconi then tried to cover it up with phone calls to police when she was arrested for alleged theft. Berlusconi and the woman have both denied having sex.

Prosecutors were only looking for a six-year jail sentence for the underage sex and abuse of power in trying to cover it up, but the three femal judges in the Milan trial, extended that sentence to seven years today.

Berlusconi's lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, announced outside the courthouse today an appeal to the verdict, saying "This is beyond reality. I'm calm because I've been saying for three years that this trial should never have taken place here."

Berlusconi was also given a lifetime ban from ever holding public office. 

But Silvio can appeal the judgement twice, and it's likely to be tied up in that appeals process in the months, or possibly years, to follow. 

Ruby The Heat Stealer and Berlusconi himself have both failed to appear before the court in the case and both have denied wrongdoing. 

Ruby was 17 at the time of the alleged encounters but passed herself off as being 24. 

The age of consent in Italy is 14, but it's illegal to pay for sex with anyone under the age of 18.

The underaged sex case isn't Silvio's only court case, though it is the only one that's been brought against him for a personal matter. 

Berlusconi's tax-fraud conviction brought with his a four-year prison sentence and a five-year ban on public office and have been upheld on first appeal. 

That case is heading to Italy's highest court for a final appeal after Berlusconi's defense failed to derail it last week at the constitutional court. 

Silvio Berlusconi has been tired numerous times relating to his shady business dealings both and out of politics, and has been convicted in other cases at the trial level. 

In all those instances when he was convicted at the trial level, the verdicts have been overturned on appeal or the statute of limitations ran out before Italy's highest court could have a say in the case.

It's likely that Silvio's conviction for solicitation of an underaged woman, will be either overturned or will stagnate long enough in the appeals court to render the highest Italian court unable to hear the case because of the statute of limitations has run out. 

Silvio Berlusconi heads off the jail:

Berlusconi Sentencing Report in English: