Broome bishop jailed for 6.5 years for sexually abusing two young men

(Content warning: sexual abuse)

Former Broome bishop Christopher Alan Saunders has been sentenced to six years and six months in prison for sexually abusing two young men, bringing a lengthy criminal prosecution to its sentencing outcome while leaving questions about institutional accountability unresolved.

Saunders, 76, was sentenced by Judge Martin Flynn in Western Australia's District Court on Wednesday, 7 October 2026. He must serve four years and six months before becoming eligible for parole, with eligibility reported as February 2031.

His imprisonment follows a jury's verdicts on one count of sexual penetration without consent and 12 counts of indecent assault. The jury acquitted him of six other charges.

One of the most influential religious positions in the Kimberley

The case concerns abuse committed while Saunders occupied one of the most influential religious positions in the Kimberley. Church owned properties were among the places where the offending occurred, bringing his access to institutional resources into the story of how he reached and abused the men.

The judge's sentencing remarks

According to ABC's sentencing report, Judge Flynn gave no weight to character references describing the offending as inconsistent with the man their authors knew. The judge said those people did not know Saunders well.

He also condemned Saunders's disregard for the victims' ability to decide what happened to their own bodies.

A statement from one victim, read to the court, described the lasting pain of being treated as an object for Saunders's use. Saunders showed no reaction when the sentences were imposed, the ABC reported.

The outcome follows sentencing submissions in September, when the prosecution emphasised the power imbalance between Saunders and men approximately 40 years younger than him.

His defence argued against a sentence that would be crushing and pointed to his loss of community standing. Those were arguments put forward on his behalf, rather than findings that diminished the seriousness of his crimes.

Covert footage in the police case

Evidence publicly reported before sentencing also included covert footage recorded during the police investigation.

The footage released by the court was not a recording of the offences underlying his convictions. According to 7NEWS, prosecutors relied on it as evidence of grooming behaviour.

A case years in the making

Saunders's path to prison stretched across years of scrutiny.

ABC's examination of the case traced allegations back to 2018, when a man told a priest he had been abused by Saunders as a teenager. An initial police investigation ended without charges. Saunders stepped aside from his diocesan responsibilities in 2020, and his resignation was accepted in 2021.

A subsequent Church investigation produced a report in 2023. Police reopened their investigation, and Saunders was arrested in 2024.

The Church's account of its cooperation is also part of that history. In September 2023, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said it responded positively when police requested its report and provided the document two days later. It rejected suggestions that the exchange had been adversarial.

Those statements are the Church's explanation of its conduct. They do not, by themselves, resolve broader questions about the handling of earlier concerns or the adequacy of oversight.

Apologies, and questions still open

Following the guilty verdicts in August, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said the Church's own investigation could recommence. He said it had been paused during the police process to avoid compromising that investigation, and that decisions about Saunders's position within the Church would be determined in Rome.

The prison sentence and that Church process are separate. A criminal sentencing outcome should not be reported as confirmation of a subsequent decision about his clerical status.

In statements issued on Wednesday, Costelloe and current Broome Bishop Tim Norton apologised to the victims and acknowledged the harm caused by a trusted Church leader.

Norton also acknowledged the time taken for survivors to be heard. He said diocesan staff could connect people needing assistance with independent support services, and that local communities should be consulted about ways to address the damage.

Costelloe renewed commitments to safeguarding and transparency. Neither statement announced a new independent institutional review, a deadline for the Church investigation's completion, or a commitment to publish its findings.

The available sentencing coverage does not establish criminal wrongdoing by other Church officials.

Support for survivors of sexual abuse is available through 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 and the Blue Knot Foundation on 1800 421 468. In an emergency, call 000.