Judge to look into sex abuse vicar case

Colin Pritchard served as the vicar of St Barnabas Church in Cantelupe Road until 2007 after being arrested over sex abuse claims.

In July 2008 he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two boys in the 1970s and 1980s and was jailed for five years.

He first came to the attention of Sussex Police in 1997, together with Roy Cotton, who worked as a parish priest in Brede, near Rye in the 1990s, and had been convicted of a sexual offence against a boy in 1954.

In 1997 Pritchard was vicar at Sedlescombe and had been there since 1989 before moving to Bexhill in 2001.

Cotton, who died in 2006, served as a parish priest until 1999.

The Diocese of Chichester has appointed a judge to carry out an investigation, following the revelations this week by BBC South East.

It has confirmed Pritchard and Cotton were given permission to officiate by different bishops despite their arrests and Cotton’s previous conviction, which lay on his church career file.

Pritchard was suspended in September 2007 when a new safeguarding officer at the diocese realised he was a risk to children.

Following his conviction the current Bishop of Chichester commissioned an independent investigation into the cases of Pritchard and Cotton.

Pritchard was in charge of a church in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in the early 1980s when he committed his offences.

In 2008 the ex-clergyman admitted four counts of indecent assault and three counts of committing an act of gross indecency.

Six of the seven offences were committed against one boy, who was aged between 12 and 15 at the time.

A hearing at Northampton Crown Court was told how Pritchard “groomed” one of the victims, inviting him to his home and even taking him on trips away, including a stop-over in London and a camping trip in France.

But soon Pritchard was kissing the child when the pair were alone, inviting him into his bed and then involving him in sexual acts.

Years later, when the victim was a father himself and about to enrol his son in a Church of England school, he told a member of the clergy about Pritchard and the priest was arrested.

Pritchard’s second victim was introduced to him by Cotton.

This child was abused by both Cotton and Pritchard, the court heard, but prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to charge Cotton before his death.

Pritchard tried to get his jail term cut in March last year at the Court of Appeal but failed.

Archdeacon of Hastings and Lewes, the Venerable Philip Jones said: “The Diocese of Chichester gives the protection of children the highest priority and takes seriously all concerns raised.

“A review is being undertaken into safeguarding practice in the diocese and we do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of that review and are unable to comment until it is completed.”