Former Metro Detroit priest pleads guilty to charges stemming from 1970s sex abuse allegations

WYANDOTTE, Mich. (FOX 2) - A former Metro Detroit  priest pleaded guilty to charges stemming from sex abuse claims, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday.

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Gary Berthiaume, 79, is accused of sexually abusing three victims between the ages of 13 and 15 while he was a priest in the 1970s. He was at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wyandotte and Our Lady of Sorrows in Farmington during the period the allegations are from.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and no contest to one count of gross indecency.

"This plea secures long-awaited justice for those who bravely came forward with their stories," Nessel said. "My clergy abuse investigation team continues to work tirelessly to reach similar outcomes in our additional cases." 

Berthiaume will be sentenced Dec. 20.