This is a pretty groundbreaking development in the ongoing saga of church child abuse scandals. A Roman Catholic Church official, Monsignor William Lynn, was convicted for his role in protecting predator priests. He was acquitted on the conspiracy charges.

Msgr. William J. Lynn was found guilty on one count of child endangerment, and acquitted on two counts, including conspiracy.

The jury was deadlocked on attempted rape and endangerment charges against the Rev. James J. Brennan.

The jury was excused by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, so the is trial over, with a mistrial on the Brennan charges.

Prosecutors could decide to try him again.

The announcements came down shortly after 2 p.m. in Courtroom 304 at the Criminal Justice Center.

The panel of seven men and five women met for more than two hours on their 13th day of deliberations in the landmark case before breaking for lunch around noon.

Lynn, 61, was the first church official nationwide to be tried for enabling or covering up clergy-sex abuse. He was accused of recommending that Brennan and another priest, Edward Avery, be allowed to live or work in parishes in the 1990s despite signs that they might abuse minors.

Defendant Brennan, 48, was accused of child endangerment and attempting to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996. Avery pleaded guilty before the trial to sexually assaulting the 10-year-old altar boy in 1999 and is serving 2-1/2 to 5 years in state prison.