Father William Finnegan of Saint Clare's Roman Catholic Church in Bradford, London was on trial for sexual assault. During the trial the priest revealed a secret marriage.

The priest had been secretly married for over a decade. Despite his vow of celibacy, Finnegan got married in 1999. According to heavy.com, the defense the priest used to counter his assault charge was that he could not have sexually assaulted the 17-year-old girl because he and his secret wife enjoyed a healthy sex life.

Finnegan allegedly tried to forcibly kiss the 17-year-old and attempted to grope her rear end.

The Jury found Father Finnegan guilty. He could face at least 10 years in prison. Heavy.com reports that during the trial Finnegan's lawyer Jeremy Hill-Baker, said to the jury:

"You may be thinking that he is only human, that Father Bill, as a Catholic priest, has taken a vow of celibacy, condemning himself to a single and lonely life filled with perhaps an underlying sexual frustration because ... it is not a natural state for a human to be in. It would be understandable for you to be thinking, 'Well, perhaps it just got the best of him with that 17-year-old."

He then told the jury they would hear from his wife Beverley Dawson. "No you didn't mishear me," he said, "his wife."

Hill-Baker then went on to discuss how in love Finnegan was with Dawson saying, "So deeply in love was he that he was prepared to ignore the Catholic Church's ban on marriage, a secret which has been kept from almost everyone until now. Whatever the outcome of this case, his ministry as a Catholic priest is well and truly over."

Finnegan claims that the 17-year-old came onto him and that he tried to push her away.

The prosecution and the jury did not believe that version of events. Father Finnegan was fond guilty and will be sentenced April 11.