WILLIAM JACKS FROM DARLINGTON AND FELLING RELEASED AFTER SEX OFFENSES IN NORTH EAST

In April 2003, the North East community was shocked once again as William Jacks, a priest with a troubling history of misconduct, was released from prison after serving only 19 months. Jacks, who had previously been convicted of multiple sexual offenses involving minors, was seen back on the streets of Darlington and Felling, areas where he had previously served as a religious figure.

Jacks, who was widely condemned as a disgrace to the priesthood for his actions, refused to show any remorse when confronted by reporters from the Chronicle. When asked about the allegations and his conduct, he simply responded, “I have nothing to say.” His release came shortly after he completed his sentence at Acklington Prison, where he was incarcerated for his crimes.

The history of William Jacks’s criminal activities dates back to August 2001, when he was sentenced to five years in prison for abusing a 12-year-old boy. The abuse occurred over a span of four years, beginning in 1987, and took place at various locations including Jacks’s own residence, the Bishop’s house, and the presbytery of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Felling, Tyne and Wear. The victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, came forward nearly a decade after the last incident, having seen a photograph of Jacks working with children in a Catholic newspaper.

During the sentencing, Judge David Hodson emphasized the breach of trust involved in Jacks’s actions. He stated, “You were in a position of huge moral responsibility towards the victim of your offences. It is rightly assumed by people at large that a child in your company would be free from your sexual advances. As it was, you took advantage of a clearly vulnerable boy who was unsure of his sexuality. He regarded you as his mentor, yet you abused that trust. You have brought shame on your priestly vocation and lowered the regard the public at large had for the priesthood.”

At the trial held last month, the now 26-year-old victim described Jacks as a father figure whom he idolized. He told the court, “He was everything to me. He was a father figure to me, I worshipped him and thought he worshipped me.” The court heard that Jacks had groomed the boy and created situations conducive to abuse, although he did not use threats or coercion. The judge acknowledged that Jacks had not physically forced the victim but had manipulated him emotionally.

Prior to his arrest, William Jacks was a solicitor based in Darlington before he entered the priesthood. He was serving as a priest at St Joseph’s Church in Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, when authorities charged him with the offenses last year. Jacks faced multiple charges, including one of indecency with a child and three counts of indecent assault. He was acquitted of a fourth charge related to the same victim.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Jacks maintained his innocence, although he admitted to having an affair with the boy once he turned 16. His defense, led by David Robson QC, argued that Jacks had lost his priesthood, which he valued most, and emphasized that there had been no complaints from the Church or the police about his conduct from others. The court also received letters of support from fellow priests and members of the congregation, which were presented during the trial.

Despite his release, William Jacks has been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, a measure that underscores the severity of his past crimes and the ongoing concern for public safety in the North East community.