Polish court sentences Sosnowiec diocese priest to 14 years in prison for sexual abuse of seven girls

Verdict and sentencing in Sosnowiec

On 9 September 2026, the District Court in Sosnowiec sentenced Catholic priest Jacek K. to 14 years in prison for sexual crimes against seven girls. Judge Piotr Głogowski delivered the verdict following a trial held behind closed doors to protect the victims. The 64-year-old priest was not brought to the courtroom from pre-trial custody for the announcement, and his defense attorney was also absent. Following the public reading of the sentence, the court presented the legal justification to the parties without the presence of the media. Alongside the 14-year prison term, the court imposed a lifetime ban prohibiting the cleric from working in education, upbringing, childcare, and medical treatment of minors. Jacek K. was also barred from entering educational and childcare facilities for 15 years, received restraining orders lasting between 10 and 15 years, and must pay over 300,000 PLN in total compensation to the victims, with individual awards ranging from 13,000 PLN to 100,000 PLN.

Scope of the indictment and investigation

The indictment against Jacek K. was submitted to the Sosnowiec District Court on 5 December 2025 by the District Prosecutor's Office in Sosnowiec. Prosecutors charged the cleric with ten criminal offenses, comprising nine counts of sexual abuse against minors and one count of possessing illegal pornographic content and pedophilic materials. Under Polish law, the priest faced a potential maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison for the accumulated charges. Law enforcement authorities initially brought two charges when arresting the cleric in October 2024, but evidence gathered during the investigation revealed seven female victims, several of whom have since reached adulthood. Prosecuting attorney Bartosz Kilian described the scope of the priest's activities at the start of the judicial proceedings.

The defendant's illicit activity occurred over many years, between 2008 and 2024. The investigated crimes were connected to locations where the defendant performed pastoral service and taught religion.

Pattern of abuse across parishes

Investigators determined that the offenses occurred inside churches, rectories, and parish grounds across several assignments within the Diocese of Sosnowiec. Jacek K. previously served as a parish priest in Bukowno in Olkusz County, and from 2013 led a parish in Mostek near Wolbrom for roughly 12 years while teaching Catholic religious education at a school in Gołcza. Residents in Mostek recalled that the priest handed out candy to children during meetings, oversaw parish church renovations, and organized communal gatherings. Diocesan authorities repeatedly moved the cleric between parishes, an administrative practice used to quiet incoming reports about his conduct. Prosecutor Kilian detailed the method used by the cleric to target victims within the community.

The defendant took advantage of the trust and deep faith of his victims. He selected lost, maladjusted individuals undergoing personal difficulties who could not find their place in their environment.

Broader context within the diocese

The conviction of Jacek K. forms part of a multi-threaded investigation by the Sosnowiec District Prosecutor's Office into sexual abuse by clergy members in the diocese. Jacek K. is one of three active priests detained during the broader inquiry. Court records detailed instances of physical coercion, including an incident in which the priest restrained, pulled, and attempted to force sexual contact on a victim who managed to escape and lock herself in a bathroom. The trial opened on 17 February 2026 and concluded after more than a dozen in-camera sessions, ending with the 14-year aggregate sentence handed down by the court.