Bishop Robert Finn today became the highest-ranking U.S. Catholic official convicted during the church’s decades-long child sexual abuse scandal.

Jackson County Circuit Judge John Torrence found Finn guilty of one misdemeanor count and not guilty on another.   Finn was accused of failing to report suspicions of child abuse stemming from the church’s handling of the Reverend Shawn Ratigan.

Diocesan officials reported Ratigan months after they found lewd photographs of young girls on his laptop.

Judge Torrence separated Finn’s case from similar charges filed against the Kansas City St Joseph Diocese.  Those charges could be dropped.

Prosecutors opted for a bench trial to spare the victims the lengthy testimony and cross-examination during what was expected to be a two-week jury trial.

Finn told the court he was sorry.  The judge gave him a suspended sentence of two years of probation and required him to undergo training for reporting suspected abuse.

Prosecutors said after the Finn verdict that they would drop the charges against the diocese.  The judge was expected to rule on that issue Friday.