Former Teacher and Church Deacon Jailed for Abusing Schoolboys

Manchester Gazette
August 28, 2014

http://manchestergazette.co.uk/28229/former-teacher-church-deacon-jailed-abusing-schoolboys

A former teacher and church deacon has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment for sexually abusing boys at a School in Hale, Greater Manchester.

The crimes took place between 1973 and 1990 when the victims were between 11 and 17 years old, all but one of his victims being under 16 years of age.

Alan Morris taught at the school for 23 years between 1972 and 1995. In 1992 he was ordained as a Deacon and took up a position at the Church of the Holy Angels in Hale Barns.

He was found guilty of 19 sexual offences against ten victims after a trial.

Joanna White, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS North West Complex Casework Unit said: “Alan Morris abused his position of power within the school to prey on vulnerable young boys.

“He utilised the ability to carry out corporal punishment to perform acts and force others into acts which were designed to humiliate his victims in order to satisfy his own sexual desires. He continued to do so for years after corporal punishment was abolished.

“He had established a fearsome reputation as a ruthless disciplinarian at the school which prevented his young and frightened victims reporting him at the time. However, the abuse came to light in 2012 after Morris was due to be involved in a child baptism at a ceremony attended by one of his ex-pupils. It was the complaint made by the ex-pupil which gave a number of victims the courage to contact the police.

“After many years of maintaining a facade of respectability, Alan Morris has now been unveiled as a serial sexual offender who evaded justice for his crimes for decades.

“The CPS will continue to work closely with the police to bring to justice those who have abused young people, irrelevant of when the offences took place, and will support victims of such offences in every way possible.”