Barry Oake, shown during a court appearance in September, was given a 22-month jail sentence on Monday. (CBC)

A central Newfoundland judge sentenced a disgraced former councillor to jail on Monday, after rejecting Crown and defence arguments in favour of house arrest.

Barry Oake, who pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault involving teenaged boys, was sentenced to 22 months incarceration.

Oake showed no reaction Monday as Judge Bruce Short passed the sentence in provincial court in Gander.

In October, Short surprised Crown and defence lawyers by refusing to grant 14 months of house arrest to Oake, who resigned his post on Grand Falls-Windsor town council earlier this year.

Short said that Oake's crimes were too serious for house arrest, and asked the Crown and defence to submit further evidence.

Last week, defence lawyer Bob Simmonds told Short in court that he had been influenced by public outrage over the case. Simmonds later told reporters that the case was a "media circus," and that more heinous accounts of sexual account had received substantially less coverage.

The Crown did not submit any new evidence.

Before handing down the sentence, Short said the court must not allow itself to be dictated to by public opinion but it should be aware of social values.

After the sentencing, Simmonds told CBC News that he will file an appeal of Short's decision within a day or two. He said that Oake may be free on bail before Christmas.

Court had been told that Oake had volunteered to accompany groups of teenagers on several trips between 2005 and 2007.

Oake admitted to grabbing the genitals of a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old through their clothes. Court was told he had attempted to put his hand down the pants of a 17-year-old.

On another occasion, court was told, Oake sexually assaulted an 18-year-old who had passed out after drinking alcohol.

Several of the parents of Oake's victims attended the sentencing. One mother wiped away a tear as she left the courtroom.

One father told CBC News that he is pleased that — under the circumstances — Oake is going to jail. However, he said he felt the sentence was too light, and said a life sentence would have been better.