ANTHONY MCCALLEN AND JAMES CARRAGHER SENTENCED IN EAST YORKSHIRE CHILD SEX ABUSE CASE

In September 2016, the Court of Appeal refused Anthony McCallen's request to overturn his 15-year prison sentence for sexual offences against 11 boys at the now-closed St William’s Children’s Home near Market Weighton. McCallen, a former Roman Catholic chaplain, had been convicted in December of multiple charges, including serious sexual offences, and was originally sentenced in January at Leeds Crown Court. He had claimed that his sentence was too severe and sought a reduction, but the appeal was dismissed.

McCallen, formerly residing on Whernside Crescent in Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees, was convicted of 11 counts involving sexual abuse, while eight other charges were dismissed after a trial. His co-defendant, James Carragher, of Cearns Road, Prenton, Merseyside, received a nine-year sentence after being found guilty of 21 indecent assaults and three serious sex offences. He was acquitted of an additional 30 charges.

The case traces back to earlier convictions and sentences for Carragher, who was head of St William’s from 1976 to 1990, an approved school for boys with behavioural issues operated by the Catholic De La Salle order. Carragher, now 75, had previously served seven and 14-year sentences for sexual offences committed at the home.

At the latest sentencing in January 2015, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC described how Carragher and McCallen effectively trapped vulnerable boys at the school, noting, “It is difficult to imagine a worse case of breach of trust.” The judge emphasized that their actions caused severe, long-term psychological damage, with Carragher and McCallen targeting some of the most vulnerable children.

McCallen, 69, was also convicted of abusing two boys in the 1990s and was found in possession of indecent photographs of boys, some taken covertly through spyholes while the boys showered or used the toilet. The judge remarked, “Each of you has a long-standing, deeply ingrained sexual interest in teenage boys. It’s an interest, I have no doubt, that continues to persist.”

Both men denied all charges but were found guilty by a jury just before Christmas, with the jury unable to reach verdicts on some additional charges, which were then left on file. The prosecution’s solicitor, David Greenwood, highlighted ongoing civil cases and the emotional and psychological toll on the survivors, stating, “Legal technicalities are to this day being used to prevent them getting compensation and restoring some dignity to their lives.” He expressed hope that the convictions would prompt the Diocese of Middlesbrough and the De La Salle organizations to settle out of court.

Earlier in December 2015, Anthony McCallen and James Carragher were convicted after a 10-week trial, with the jury deliberating for 11 days. Carragher was convicted of 21 counts of indecent assault and three serious sex assaults, with additional charges not proven. McCallen was convicted of 11 charges, including a serious sexual offence, and acquitted of eight others. Sentencing was scheduled for January 4.

The history of abuse at St William’s dates back to the 1990s, involving multiple allegations against Carragher and McCallen, who both targeted boys as young as 12—some victims had been given alcohol or drugs. Past convictions include Carragher’s 1993 and 2004 sentences, and McCallen’s early abuse convictions. In 2006, police investigations revealed dozens of new claims of child abuse at the home.

The home, now closed since 1992, was owned by the Diocese of Middlesbrough and operated by members of the De La Salle Brotherhood. During the 1990s, additional allegations emerged against other staff members, including Brother James Carragher, and fostered a climate of widespread abuse, with victims suffering from trauma and social difficulties long after their victimization.