Belgian child abuse priest Dejaeger in Canadian court

Iqaluit, Canada - A Roman Catholic priest has appeared in a Canadian court after being extradited from Belgium to face charges of molesting boys more than 30 years ago.

The Reverend Eric Dejaeger, a Canadian citizen, had been wanted since 2002.

The 63-year-old was arrested in his native Belgium earlier this month on charges he overstayed his visa.

He faces six charges related to alleged crimes against native children in the remote settlement of Igloolik, where he served as a missionary.

Father Dejaeger made a brief appearance on Thursday in a courtroom in Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut - which is located 194 miles (314km) south of the Arctic circle. He wore a white beard and no shoes, the CBC reported.

He is charged with three counts of indecent assault on a male and three counts of serious sexual assault, in alleged incidents between 1978 and 1982. A bail hearing is to be held on Monday.

In 1990, Father Dejaeger was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to nine charges of sexually assaulting children between 1983 and 1987 in the remote community of Baker Lake, in what is now Nunavut territory.

He was released after 18 months, then fled to Belgium after fresh allegations emerged.