Spared jail: Pastor who nibbled 13-year-old girl's ear - leaving her so traumatised she self-harmed

By Lizzie Parry
Daily Mail
April 16, 2014

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2606205/Spared-jail-Pastor-nibbled-13-year-old-girls-ear-leaving-traumatised-self-harmed.html

Pastor Christopher Rose has been spared jail after being found guilty of nibbling a 13-year-old girl's ear

The 45-year-old befriended the girl's family, gaining their trust. He acted as a mentor to the girl's mother and offered her father advice, Aylesbury Crown Court heard

In January last year, when he was alone with the girl, Rose 'touched her in a sexual way', the judge said

Rose's ministry is based at the Aylesbury 1st Scout Hall in the town

Rose, 45, a pastor at the Living Water World Outreach Ministry (pictured with another child), was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work and sign the Sex Offenders' Register. He was ordered to pay costs of £300.

A church pastor who 'sexually' nibbled a young girl's ear leaving her so traumatised she started to self-harm.

Christopher Rose, 45, bit the 13-year-old's ear in a sexual manner after befriending her family and gaining their trust.

The evangelical church pastor has been banned from going out at night, after a judge spared him a prison sentence.

At Aylesbury Crown Court Rose was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work by Judge Francis Sheridan.

Sentencing him, Judge Sheridan said the young girl's family had 'utter faith' in Rose, adding that he had been in a position of total trust.

'He was trusted in the family setting and then misused that position in relation to the daughter,' said the judge.

'I'm not going to stop him working as a pastor but I think my duty is to protect other young girls of that age from over-familiar treatment.'

The court heard Rose, who is a pastor at the Living Water World Outreach Ministry, became close to the girl's parents.

Around January last year, when alone with the teenager, Rose nibbled her ear, the court heard.

'You touched her in a sexual way,' said Judge Sheridan.

'You did it in a way where you made it perfectly clear why you were doing it.'

The police were informed and Rose, whose ministry is based at Aylesbury 1st Scout Hall in the town, was arrested.

Rose was also accused of two charges of meeting a girl following grooming, four charges of engaging in a sex act with a girl aged 13 to 15 years and two other sexual assaults, relating to the victim and one other young girl.

He was convicted of nibbling the victim's ear but acquitted of all other charges following a trial at Aylesbury Crown Court last month.

Sentencing was previously adjourned as Rose was signed off as unfit to work due to depression until April 14.

Speaking at an earlier hearing George Heimler, mitigating, said Rose, of Northolt in Middlesex, had no relevant previous convictions and had been assessed as at low risk of re-offending.

'The complainant said it lasted just two seconds and it was a single occurence,' he said.

'He is a person who has devoted much of his adult life to pastoral duties. He became friendly with the mother and associated with the child coincidentally.'

Yesterday Judge Sheridan agreed it was an isolated incident.

As well as the unpaid work, Rose was placed under a 6.30pm to 5am curfew for one month.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £300 and must sign the Sex Offenders' Register.