Retired Priest Charged with 38 Child Sex Offences

Bexhill-on-Sea Observer
June 28, 2012

http://www.bexhillobserver.net/news/bexhill-news/retired-priest-charged-with-38-child-sex-offences-1-3996043

Gordon Rideout

Anglican priest who was once a head of governors at a Bexhill school has been charged with a string of sex offences against children.

Gordon Trevor Rideout, 73, of Filching Close, Wannock, was charged with 38 sexual offences against 18 young girls and boys on Wednesday June 27.

Thirty-six of the alleged offences are of indecent assault on girls and boys in their early teens. Thirty-one are alleged to have been committed at an address in Crawley, and one in Barkingside, Essex, between 1962 and 1968, and four are alleged to have taken place at an address in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, between 1971 and 1973.

The other two alleged offences are of attempted unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl in Crawley between 1962 and 1966.

Rideout, who was chair of governors at St Mary’s special school as well as a governor at Bishop Bell School in Eastbourne, been arrested on March 6.

He had been on conditional police bail since then, and was charged following further police interviews after he answered his bail on Wednesday.

He was released on conditional police bail and is due to appear at Mid Sussex Magistrates Court on Monday July 16.

The charges, authorised by the South East Complex Case Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service, follow a nine month enquiry by Sussex Police detectives into allegations of sex abuse of young people in the 1960s and early 1970s.

None of the charges relate to any allegations of recent or current offending and police emphasise that there is nothing to suggest that any children are currently at risk.

• A special helpline exists for anyone who feels they need support or advice whenever learning of such cases.

The helpline is manned by staff at the NSPCC and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls are handled sensitively and confidentially.

Where appropriate, callers are referred to specially trained police officers and, if required, a range of local counselling services, who can offer expert support to those who come forward. The helpline number is 0800 389 5344.