A former priest facing a slew of new child abuse material charges and allegations he tried procuring underage children for sex is expected to plead within weeks.

Guy Norman Hartcher, 78, was arrested just before Christmas after a police sting allegedly caught him trying to obtain sex from a police officer posing as a 14-year-old boy and sending him indecent material.

Sex crimes squad detectives handcuffed the former Vincentian priest outside a South Asian minimart in Pendle Hill in western Sydney before taking him to Granville police station where he was charged.

He was initially charged with transmitting child abuse material and trying to procure sexual activity from a child under 16.

The Ashfield man has since been hit with further allegations and is facing 14 child sexual abuse char

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