Former Norfolk Catholic Priest Back in Court Facing New Sex Abuse Charges

By David Bale
EDP 24
September 11, 2014

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/former_norfolk_catholic_priest_back_in_court_facing_new_sex_abuse_charges_1_3765500

Roman catholic priest Father Anthony McSweeney arriving at Southwark Crown Court, London. Photo credit should read: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire Roman catholic priest Father Anthony McSweeney arriving at Southwark Crown Court, London. Photo credit should read: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire

Father Tony McSweeney, 67, and former children’s home manager, wheelchair-bound John Stingemore, 72, allegedly molested the youths at Grafton Close Children’s Home in Hounslow, west London.

McSweeney – who officiated at the 1990 wedding of boxing legend Frank Bruno and his ex-wife, Laura – was a trainee priest at the time of the alleged attacks.

The once part-time chaplain at Norwich City FC was leading the congregation at St George’s Church in north Norwich when the claims against him emerged.

Both pensioners are accused of targeting children while Stingemore was in charge of the council-run home between February 1980 and July 1981.

The pair have already pleaded not guilty to a string of charges relating to six victims aged 15 and under.

Prosecutor Peter Zinner said the Crown are seeking to add further charges to the indictment.

He said: ‘The Crown’s charges arise out of what the Crown say was systematic sexual abuse of children in a care home in the west of London in the early part of the 1980s. Mr Stingemore and Mr McSweeney already await trial.

“There were numerous young children making similar complaints against Mr McSweeney and Mr Stingemore.”

McSweeney, of Brighton Road North, Pease Pottage, West Sussex, denies taking an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of indecent assault on a male person in the 1980s. He further denies three counts of making indecent photographs of a child and a further count of possessing indecent images which were allegedly found on a Dell laptop in January and February last year.

Stingemore, of Kennedy Court, Stonehouse Drive, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, denies five counts of indecent assault on a male person, indecency with a child and taking an indecent photograph of a child.

The court heard they will face additional charges of sexual assault, gross indecency and taking indecent photographs of children.

The defendants indicated not guilty pleas and will enter formal pleas to the charges when they return to Southwark Crown Court on November 26. Both were released on unconditional bail.