Child Porn Vicar Was Pillar of Community, by Suzanne Harvey, Advertiser and Times, February 17, 2010

Child Porn Vicar Was Pillar of Community

By Suzanne Harvey
Advertiser and Times
February 17, 2010

http://www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk/news/Child-porn-vicar-was-pillar.6076931.jp

UNITED KINGDOM -- Shamed vicar Paul Battersby portrayed himself as a beacon of honour and a pillar of the community.

The former reverend still held the respect of his congregation even when he was charged with possessing child porn.

Dozens of parishioners at St Ambrose church in Leyland even gathered at court hearings in Preston to pray outside and support him.

Former vicar Paul Battersby who has been jailed

Battersby, 60, also contacted members of his congregation, begging them to write letters to Preston Crown Court to "say what a great guy I am."

But Battersby's ploy didn't work.

He was convicted of downloading indecent images but escaped with a 34-week suspended sentence in March 2008. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and attend a sex offenders' programme.

But, within a month, Battersby – who was sacked by the Diocese – had bought a laptop and within months was using it to again view obscene images of youngsters.

A total of 160 sickening photographs of children being abused were found on the laptop when police seized it.

Today, he was getting used to a prison cell after he was jailed for 12 months for the fresh child porn offences in Liverpool.

Members of the St Ambrose Church congregation today closed ranks after Battersby was finally locked up.

Carol Cochrane, secretary of the parish church council, said: "We were told not to discuss it at the time and that still applies."

The wife of churchwarden Tony Coles added: "The diocese has told us not to discuss it.

"Equally, we don't want to know what he has done."

One member of the congregation said: "We got on with life and moved on. I'm disappointed that it's happened again."

And the Rev Duncan Clarke, the current parish priest, declined to comment.

A Diocese of Blackburn spokesman said: "Paul Battersby ceased to be a priest in the Church of England following his conviction and the award of a suspended prison sentence in March 2008."

Former youth officer Battersby, of College Drive, Bebington, Wirral, was originally turned in by his wife in April 2007 after his 17-year-old stepson spotted pornographic images on his computer.