Former Italian Prime Minister 'Berlusconi' Found Guilty & Sentenced to 7 years in Sex Case

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prison and barred from holding public office for life after he was found guilty in a sex-for-hire trial, a Milan court ruled on Monday.

After a case that lasted more than two years, three female judges found Berlusconi, 76, guilty of abuse of office and paying for sex with an underage prostitute, according to the Associated Press.

Berlusconi was charged with paying a Moroccan teen, Karima El Mahroug, for sex and attempting to cover it up with phone calls to Milan police officials when she was picked up for alleged theft, the AP reported. Both Berlusconi and El Mahroug, known as "Ruby the Heart Stealer," deny having had sex with each other.

Prosecutors were seeking a six-year jail sentence for Berlusconi – one year for the prostitution charge, and five for the abuse of office charge.

But it could take months, or even years, before Monday's verdict becomes final, according to The Daily Mail. The decision can be appealed twice before the sentence becomes final, meaning Berlusconi will not have to spend any time in jail unless he loses the appeals.