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	Priest Admits to Having Homosexual Relationship The Fermanagh Herald [United Kingdom] May 23, 2007 http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/fh/free/310763379320999.php The Roslea priest at the centre of a Crown Court Trial in Liverpool admitted on Tuesday to having a homosexual relationship with a convicted paedophile. Father Jeremiah McGrath, whose address was given as Church Road, also told a jury that he had not considered the relationship with William Adams to be wrong. He said he formed a relationship with Adams when he was in his mid-40s and Adams was 21 and homeless. Their sexual relationship did not last long, he said. "It changed from being a physical relationship to an emotional relationship. There was precious little sexual activity," said 62-year-old McGrath. McGrath faces three charges of facilitating the commission of a child sex offence by Adams and one of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. He denies all the offences, which spanned seven months ending in November 2005. Adams, from Newtownabbey, but latterly of Bootle, Merseyside, has admitted repeatedly raping the child when she was 11 and 12 in Liverpool, Blackpool and Southport. McGrath, said that if he had had a continuing sexual relationship with Adams he would have considered his position as a priest but, after Adams was released from a 12 year jail sentence for raping an eight-year-old girl, he only had sex with him once. Cross-examined by Andrew Menary, QC, prosecuting, McGrath agreed he had told police he had not had a sexual relationship with Adams. "I was embarrassed", he explained. "It was a lie?" asked Mr Menary. "It wasn't the complete truth. The answer should have been it wasn't a continuing sexual relationship," he replied. He said Adams had told him he had not abused the eight-year-old girl and also a 13-year-old girl, and he believed him. He said he had not then thought he was a paedophile but McGrath admitted he had told police he repeatedly told Adams that he was to get psychiatric help. "I believed him when I wanted to believe him. When you are emotionally attached to a person, it is a difficult situation to be in," he said. He said that during 2005 he recognised that Adams might be a paedophile and advised him to get help. He was shown photographs taken while the two men were on holiday in Blackpool with the girl, her mother and brother. These included Adams at a swimming pool complex with the children and also another showing Adams and the girl close together. McGrath claimed it was the girl who behaved in an overtly sexual way and Adams would tell her to go away. "I never saw any closeness like in the photograph. If I had I would be worried." Mr Menary suggested that he knew full well what was going on between Adams and the girl but ignored it because he was "besotted" with Adams; however, McGrath denied knowing what was happening. While the group was on holiday, Adams described McGrath as his uncle and that their name was Adamson. McGrath said he had not told anyone he was his uncle and had not queried why Adams had used the name Adamson. Asked if he would do anything for Adams he replied, "I would do a lot of things." Further questioned, he said it was only after Adams pleaded guilty to repeatedly raping the 12-year-old that it began to sink in what had been going on. Mr Menary read a letter McGrath wrote to Adams after Adams was arrested which Mr Menary described as, "full of warmth and support." Quizzed about it McGrath agreed he had been prepared to stand by Adams and had described 2005 as "a good year." "It wasn't a good year for the girl, was it?" asked Mr Menary. "No, a very sad year," said McGrath. Questioned about his police interview, McGrath agreed he had told police that he had said the girl had been hurting Adams and was "putting him in harm's way." The case continues. It is expected to last until the end of this week. FOR MORE REPORTS OF EVIDENCE FROM LIVERPOOL CROWN COURT IN THE MCGRATH TRIAL TURN TO PAGE 9.
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