According to The New York Times, a Philadelphia judge Tuesday sentenced Monsignor William J. Lynn, former aide to Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, to three to six years in prison for covering up sexual abuses by priests under his supervision.

According to the Associated Press, Judge M. Teresa Sarmina told Lynn at sentencing that he enabled "monsters in clerical garb... to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart."

Lynn was found guilty in June of one count of endangering a child but was acquitted of conspiracy and a second count of endangerment.

Lynn's lawyers reportedly plan to appeal his conviction.

Read more about the sentencing and the trial here.