FORMER PRIEST SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR NON-RECENT SEX OFFENCE
Anthony White, aged 67, was convicted of indecently assaulting a boy under 14 during the late 1980s, following a trial held at Guildford Crown Court.On Tuesday, 4 November, White was sentenced to three years in prison.
The survivor, who was in the early years of secondary school at the time, came into contact with White, also known as Father Tony, through his local church.
White exploited his role within St Joseph's Church in Epsom and his involvement in various clubs to select and groom the young boy.
Over several years, Father Tony subjected the child to multiple forms of abuse at his residence.
The abuse began with leaving the boy alone in a room for long stretches and later involved exposing him to explicit material and engaging in acts of indecent assault.
Following each incident, White manipulated the boy by displacing blame and shame onto him, aiming to silence him from speaking out.
White (born 20 May 1958) is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2022 of historical sex offences, following an investigation by Sussex Police.
His current sentence will run consecutively to the new conviction.
The survivor was motivated to report the abuse after seeing media coverage of White’s 2022 conviction.
His disclosure prompted a detailed investigation by Surrey Police’s Complex Abuse Unit, with specially trained officers providing support throughout.
The church has cooperated fully with authorities and initially encouraged the survivor to come forward.
Detective Constable Katherine Peters stated: “I want to praise the bravery of the survivor for coming forward and supporting the police after so many years.
The 2022 conviction of White for offences in Sussex brought memories to the surface for the survivor, who had long suppressed his experiences.
“White exploited his priestly position to gain the child’s trust.
His actions were intentional and calculated, aimed at ensuring the survivor remained unable or unwilling to report ongoing abuse.
“Regardless of when abuse occurred, our commitment is to investigate child sexual abuse and seek justice for victims, providing support at every stage.”
