DEVON PRIEST JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING TWO BOYS
A former priest and church curate has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for the sexual abuse of two boys over 25 years ago.Julian Wheeler, aged 75, was convicted at Exeter Crown Court of 13 serious sexual offences.
The court heard that Wheeler, who worked as a curate in Bideford from 1975 until 2003, began abusing the first victim in the 1980s.
He befriended the boy and his family, visiting their home frequently, and over four years sexually abused the boy on numerous occasions.
The second victim was abused in the 1990s after Wheeler began another friendship with him, often helping with homework before exploiting the situation.
Wheeler was arrested after one victim reported the abuse in 2017, leading to the other victim coming forward.
Moving victim impact statements revealed lifelong trauma, with one saying, 'I respected him as a teacher and a priest but he took that and used it to manipulate and abuse me.
He exploited my trust and now he has to live with that.' The other victim expressed the emotional toll, stating he felt 'terribly sad and alone' during the abuse, fearing nobody would believe him, and that he lost his youth to Wheeler.
The court was told Wheeler tried to cover his crimes with misleading statements, but police investigations led to his conviction.
Judge James Adkin described the abuse as 'heart-rending' and noted that the most serious offense would now be classified as attempted rape.
Wheeler has been ordered to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before release on licence and must register as a sex offender for life.
Detective Inspector Elaine Westerman emphasized Wheeler's abuse of trust and praised the victims’ bravery in coming forward, encouraging others to report abuse regardless of how long ago it happened.
