BANGOR — A former priest at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Bangor was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison with all but 6½ years suspended for sex crimes involving children.

Adam Metropoulos, 53, of Bangor was sentenced by Superior Court Justice Ann Murray at the Penobscot Judicial Center. She also sentenced him to 3 years of probation when he gets out of prison. He must also register with the Maine Sex Offender Registry for life.

Michael Roberts, deputy district attorney for Penobscot County, asked for consecutive sentences, which led to the lengthy prison term. He said the crimes had a “significant impact on the community,” especially within the small Greek Orthodox church.

Murray, who mentioned at the sentencing that she did not believe Metropoulos’ testimony at his jury-waived trial denying that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old altar server at the church in 2006 and 2007, found him guilty on March 17 on four felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Before the trial began, Metropoulos pleaded guilty to one count each of felony possession of sexually explicit materials — for nearly 400 sexual images including many involving children — found on his computer and misdemeanor violation of privacy, for filming a relative taking a shower just days before his arrest.

Dylan Brennan of Bangor, a family friend, read a victim’s statement from the now 23-year-old man, who now lives in Vermont. The victim was not in the courtroom, but his parents and four friends were there to represent him. The group hugged after the sentence was read.