Priest Who Abused Dozens of Boys Says He Was "Self-indulgent, Self-obsessive"

The Guardian
August 22, 2014

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/22/priest-who-abused-dozens-of-boys-says-he-was-self-indulgent-self-obsessive

John Sidney Denham is led out of court in Sydney in 2008. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

A Catholic priest who systematically abused dozens of boys says he was “self-indulgent” and just acted on his desires.

John Sidney Denham, 71, was jailed for a maximum of almost 20 years in New South Wales in 2010 for his “sadistic” indecent and sexual assault of boys as young as five.

The priest and teacher has now pleaded guilty over another 25 charges involving the sexual abuse of 18 boys at St Pius X College in Adamstown near Newcastle from 1975 to 1979.

Another 23 offences are also to be taken account when sentencing him.

In a hearing on Friday, Denham told Sydney’s district court he was responsible for “destroying the lives of so many people”.

“I am horrified that I have done this,” he said, displaying no emotion.

“I was a self-indulgent, self-obsessive person who just wanted what he got.”

Dressed in prison greens, Denham, who is being held in Goulburn, said he now shares a yard with ‘wife killers’, ‘child murderers’ and extremely serious sex offenders.

One of his victims broke into tears in court as he described how Denham’s years of abuse had left him battling a range of issues, including night terrors, paranoia, insomnia and mood swings.

The Catholic church should have protected him but all it did was shield his abuser, he said.

He also said the church should pay compensation so people like him “can get the help they need to start living again”.

The court heard Denham consistently preyed on boys from troubled backgrounds.

When one of his victims went to the school’s principal, Father Tom Brennan, the priest admonished him, saying “how dare you make up these lies”, the court heard.

The boy was then caned.

Denham will be sentenced at a later date.