By Tom Price
Daily Express [United Kingdom]
April 24, 2007
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/5203
A Vicar sexually abused young boys over three decades, a court heard yesterday.
And Church of England authorities failed to act despite two separate warnings about his alleged behaviour.
The Rev David Smith started abusing youngsters while an assistant housemaster at a prep school in 1976 and continued after becoming a parish priest in 1979, it was said.
The alarm was first raised in the 1980s by the mother of a 15-year-old boy. But church officials simply moved him to another parish, Bristol Crown Court was told.
Years later an alleged victim recognised him on TV when he was interviewed after his cousin died in the 9/11 atrocities and contacted church authorities.
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| Accused: Smith yesterday |
But although the church assured the victim it would act, Smith went on to extensively abuse another boy, it was claimed.
Smith, 52, vicar of St John the Evangelist at Clevedon, Somerset, denies 14 charges of sexual assault and indecency against seven boys between September 1976 to May 2005.
He was assistant housemaster at a boys' prep school in Berkshire when it is alleged he indecently assaulted three 13-year-old boys who were pupils at the school.
Smith was ordained and became an assistant curate at Wotton-under-Edge, Glos, in 1979.
There he indecently assaulted a 15-year-old boy before the victim's mother alerted the police, the prosecution claimed. Smith was moved to another parish. In 1993 he became vicar of St John, Clevedon, where he visited a local junior school and invited pupils to join the church choir.
He allegedly used the opportunity to sexually assault boys whom he befriended over a period from January 1998 to April 2005.
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Some of the letters have been destroyed but the boy's mother kept some of them
" Brendon Moorhouse |
One victim, who was allegedly abused from the age of 12, tried to break off contact with Smith after he took him on holiday to Malta.
But the court heard that Smith deluged him with letters and phone calls begging him to see him.
Brendon Moorhouse, prosecuting, said: "Some of the letters have been destroyed but the boy's mother kept some of them."
One read: "I've been left feeling like a much-loved pet that no longer gets fed or walked because you have found other interests. Wouldn't it be better to set the pet free rather than keep him locked up in a cage just in case he is wanted again."
Another read: "Obviously the centre of your universe has moved away from a middle-age vicar to a 19-year-old nubile girl and who could blame you for that?"
Mr Moorhouse said that in 2001 one of Smith's alleged victims from 1977 was watching television and recognised his abuser.
He told the court: "He saw David Smith on TV because his cousin was regrettably killed in the Twin Towers attack.
He realised that Mr Smith was working as a priest and became concerned that he had access to children.
"He wrote to the then Bishop of Bath and Wells, Jim Thompson, about his concerns, who wrote back to say the church had taken action to prevent anything happening."
Smith is currently suspended from duty by the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
The trial continues.
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