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	Church in Wales Expels Child Porn Vicar By Steffan Rhys Wales Online January 30, 2009 http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/30/church-in-wales-expels-child-porn-vicar-91466-22815047/ DISGRACED vicar Richard Hart has yet to express any regret or apology over the depraved images of child pornography found in his possession. A disciplinary tribunal of the Church in Wales heard that the former vicar of Beguildy still lacked “an understanding of the gravity of his conduct”. The tribunal ordered Hart be deposed from holy orders and expelled as a cleric of the Church in Wales. He now has leave to appeal the order. The 59-year-old has already appealed against the three-and-a-half year jail sentence imposed on him at Cardiff Crown Court in September for amassing a huge collection of child pornography. Hart admitted making, taking and possessing more than 56,000 indecent photographs of children. His home in the Mid Wales village was described in court as a “veritable Aladdin’s Cave” of indecent images. In addition to 344 printed images, 56,562 images were recovered from Hart’s computer. Of these, 1,445 were deemed category four and 44 were placed in category five – the most serious and degrading classification of images. Some of the images were of girls as young as four. His use of “child abuse internet sites” and his downloading of many stories involving sex with children were also uncovered. His wife, Julia, 41, told police officers the couple would sometimes view some of the milder images before sexual intercourse. Her attitude to the images was described in court as “bizarre”. The church disciplinary hearing held in private in Cardiff ruled that the allegation that Hart was guilty of conduct giving rise to just cause for scandal or offence was “overwhelmingly proved”. Tribunal president Gerard Elias QC said: “In the light of the immense seriousness and depravity of the offences, involving as often they did images of very young children, the length of time over which they had been committed, the absence of any clear statement of regret or apology – still less understanding of the gravity of his conduct and thus the danger he still poses to children – we were unhesitatingly of the view that by reason of his conduct it was wholly inappropriate for Richard Hart to remain a cleric. “Accordingly, we order that Richard Hart be deposed from holy orders and expelled from the office of cleric of the Church in Wales.” The Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, the Rt Rev John Davies, said the tribunal’s order reflected the seriousness of Hart’s offence. He said: “It sends out the very clear message that there is no room for any form of child abuse in the Church in Wales.” Hart declined to attend the hearing, or to be represented, and the meeting was heard in his absence. He provided a written statement in which, said Mr Elias, “he did not deny the charge – albeit that he did not admit it either”.
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