The sentence will be suspended until all appeals have been exhausted, a process likely to take years.
Berlusconi’s age also means he is unlikely to ever see the inside of a prison cell because of lenient sentencing guidelines in Italy for people over the age of 70.
The trial relates to crimes committed in 2010 when Berlusconi was prime minister, and revolves around what prosecutors have described as erotic parties held at his luxury residence outside Milan.
Berlusconi was accused of paying for sex on several occasions with Moroccan-born Karima El-Mahroug, a then 17-year-old exotic dancer and busty glamour girl nicknamed “Ruby the Heart Stealer”.
He was also accused of having called a police station to pressure for El-Mahroug’s release from custody when she was arrested for theft.
His defence claimed he believed El-Mahroug was the niece of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and wanted to avoid a diplomatic incident, but prosecutors insisted it was a bid to conceal their liaison.
While abuse of office was the more serious of the charges, it was the sex with the pole dancer after racy “bunga bunga” evenings in a basement room of his mansion that mesmerised the public.
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