CLERGYMEN JAILED FOR THEIR SICK ABUSE OF YOUNG BOYS
A vicar from Newton Aycliffe and a priest from Alnwick have each been sentenced to prison for their abhorrent historical abuse of young boys.David Taylor, a priest from Alnwick, was convicted of sexually assaulting a young boy on multiple occasions, including inside a church vestry, during a retreat on Holy Island, at an old convent, and during a football tournament trip.
The court was informed that these abuse incidents occurred in religious settings where the victim expected safety, yet Taylor exploited that trust.
According to the prosecution, Vince Ward, these assaults took place in environments where safeguarding measures should have been in place.
The victim recounted that the first assault happened when he was made to perform a sex act while Taylor was dressed in his gown.
The man kept his ordeal secret for 40 years, fearing disbelief due to Taylor’s trusted position within the church.
Recently, he found justice when Taylor was convicted of ten offences, including indecency with a child and indecent assault.
The victim expressed feelings of anger, confusion, and self-blame, noting that the abuse adversely affected his personal relationships, mental health, and work life.
He mentioned that his anger issues, partly stemming from childhood trauma, led to the breakdown of many relationships.
At Newcastle Crown Court, it was revealed that Taylor had prior convictions, including five indecent assault charges from the 1980s, which led to a 30-month prison sentence in 2009.
In 2017, he received a suspended sentence for another indecent assault.
The judge, Julie Clemitson, sentenced Taylor to 13 years imprisonment for his recent offences, ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for life, and noted that he had shown a long-standing sexual interest in boys dating back to his ordination in 1977.
Judge Clemitson said: "There were so many occasions he can't recall them.
It seems to him there were hundreds of them because it happened so often in various places.
Throughout this long process you have protested your innocence, saying you had no recollection of him.
That clearly can't be true.
"His victim impact statement describes the devastating impact your abuse has had for the last 40 years - that's almost the entirety of his life he has had to live under the shadow of what you did to him as a child.
"He was particularly vulnerable due to his age, where he was - in the vestry on his own and away from home at Holy Island, separated from others in your bedroom." Defence counsel Lorraine Mustard maintained Taylor’s innocence during the hearing.
