Priest Appears in Court on Child Sex Abuse Charges
By Anna Roberts
A priest appeared in court charged over alleged historic sexual abuse at a children's home. Father Anthony McSweeney, 66, was in the dock at London's Southwark Crown Court with a former manager at the home, John Stingemore, 71. The men will appear next on December 19 for a plea and case management hearing. No venue was set for the case which may move to Lewes Crown Court as Stingemore is in a wheelchair and lives in Stonehouse Drive, St Leonards.. Both men spoke only to confirm their names. McSweeney, who walks with a stick, faces three counts of indecent assault, three of making indecent images of a child, one of taking indecent images of a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child. The charges came following an investigation into alleged abuse at Grafton Close Children's Home in Hounslow, west London. Stingemore, who attended court in brown slippers, faces eight counts of indecent assault, two of taking indecent images of a child and one count of conspiracy with persons unknown to commit buggery. The charges relate to seven alleged victims, all of whom were aged between nine and 15 when the offences are said to have taken place during the 1970s and 1980s. McSweeney, of Old Brighton Road North, Pease Pottage, and his co-accused were bailed on condition they have no unsupervised contact with under 16s and do not contact each other or any witnesses. A previous bail condition for McSweeney that he not use the internet was lifted. The court heard that as well as the seven complainants, the case involves up to 90 witnesses and a dozen police officers.
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