Take Mr. Crane for a retreat at sea.
Since absolution is dependent on contrition, one wonders why a priest should grant absolution without any action on Mr Crane's part demonstrating that. Surely a repentant molester would sever such a relationship and, for the sake of being unable to continue in his child-molesting ways, turn himself in to face the human justice he deserves.
There isn't strictly any "child molesting" going on, since Emily is 13 and therefore post-pubescent. What we're talking about seems to be consensual sex between a minor and somebody who is not a minor. (Otherwise what did Emily confess?)
But regardless, who says that Mr. Crane has no contrition? If he's sincere, he has already stopped with the sex. I see no need for him to sever the mentorship or turn himself in to the police. It might be a good idea to sever the mentorship, but he doesn't have to. (Unless it's an occasion of sin for either of them.) He certainly shouldn't turn himself into the police... that's just stupid.
I wonder, does this apply to reception of the sacraments? In other words, is a priest obliged to continue administering communion to someone who they know is in a grave state of mortal sin? I would assume yes, unless their sins are public, but perhaps they could privately refuse to administer communion to them etc... i.e. if there was no one else in the Church.
I assume all the priest can do is pray for them and refuse absolution.
Why would he be in mortal sin if he has been absolved? And why should the priest refuse him absolution if he is sincere? Maybe I'm misunderstanding the scenario, but I thought Live was describing a hypothetical man who repents and confesses the sin. Not a man who goes to confession to brag about his sin and to continue doing it.
Though I do find Can. 984 §2 to be interesting. It seems to greatly limit the way in which the priest governs his parish. Suppose the priest notices that there's a lot of chitchat going on in the chapel, so the priest plans to make some official rule against chitchat, or perhaps he plans to mention it in a sermon, in an attempt to keep his parishioners in line. But before he gets the chance to do any of these things, some random parishioner goes to him in the confessional and confesses "I was talking while in the chapel". So, now that it has showed up in somebody's confession, the priest is no longer allowed to make any attempt to discourage the chitchat?