The Bishop of Portsmouth has apologised and expressed his “deepest sorrow” for the abuse perpetrated by a former Jersey Catholic priest.

Piotr Antoni Glas was convicted of three counts of committing gross indecency against a child earlier this week.

The 61-year-old – who was known as Peter when his name was anglicised – was a parish priest in Jersey in the early 2000s.

In a statement, the Right Rev Philip Egan said: “As the Bishop and shepherd of the Diocese, I wish to express my deep sorrow for the crimes committed by Fr Glas, and to express my profound apologies to the survivor for the abuse they have suffered and the pain they have carried over the course of their life as a consequence of such grave offences.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their family.”

The Diocese sought to imitate Jesus Christ, who “took special care of the vulnerable and those in need”, the Right Rev Egan said.

In his statement, he stressed that the Diocese has “robust safeguarding standards, policies and procedures” and that all allegations of abuse are reported to the relevant authorities.

According to the Diocese’s website, it is part of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency and follows national policies and procedures.

These include a requirement to report any allegations of abuse to the safeguarding lead within one working day.

Where an offence might have been committed, the Diocese has to refer the allegation to the police within one working day.

The Diocese is committed to creating safe spaces for everyone, the Bishop said, adding: “This is a primary focus for all our clergy and people, one that is mandated by the Lord Himself.”

Glas was convicted of three counts of committing an act of gross indecency on Wednesday after a jury heard seven days of evidence and deliberated for around six hours.

On at least ten occasions, Glas held his face against the child’s feet while masturbating, and on one occasion he play-wrestled the child to the ground until their face was in his crotch.

The victim explained how they at the time of the offending didn’t fully understand what was happening, but eventually grappled with it.

Throughout the trial, the court heard how Glas ended up apologising to the victim for their “broken childhood” and how the family had been impacted.

The victim had only spoken about their allegations years after the events happened, explaining that they wanted to prevent other children from harm.

Glas is currently in custody and a sentencing date is due to be fixed today.

He had already been removed from active ministry when the initial concern was raised, the Diocese of Portsmouth said in a previous statement.