Vicar Accused of Encouraging under Age Teenagers to Have Sex and Asking for Photos, a Court Told
By David Millward
A vicar who counselled vulnerable teenagers asked an under-age girl how much she would charge him to have sex and suggested youngsters send him pictures of themselves undressed, a court heard. Reverend Peter Jarvis, of Clares Green Road, Spencers Wood, is also alleged to have set up an underage girl with boyfriends and encouraged them to have sex and bought one boy cannabis and asked him to take his trousers down. The 50-year-old appeared at Reading Crown Court today facing 12 charges of sexual offences against two teenage girls and two teenage boys between June 1, 2008 and October 31, 2011, which he denies. A jury was told how Jarvis would build up relationships with children he was counselling and meet up with them socially and chat on Facebook. Jonathan Seely, prosecuting, said: "In recent times there have been a number of high profile lurid cases of child abuse in the media spotlight. Cases of the most depraved sexual abuse of young children. "This is not one of those cases at all. That is not to say these are not serious allegations and the prosecution says the defendant's conduct towards the young people, bearing in mind his position, was entirely inappropriate and a significant breach of trust." He said Jarvis was a vicar working in the parish of Thatcham at the time of the allegations and part of his work in the community was counselling young people, with some of them being particularly vulnerable children. Mr Seely said: "The defendant was using his position to befriend the young people concerned and exchange mobile phone numbers and say he could be contacted at all times." He continued: "He would buy them cigarettes and give them money. He would take a wholly inappropriate interest in their sexual activities, bearing in mind he was in his 40s and they were children." The court heard how Jarvis asked one girl, aged under-16, how much she would charge for him to sleep with her and would put his arms around her during counselling sessions. He would also take her out to a variety of places and let her smoke and suggest she sleep with her boyfriends to help with her self confidence issues. Mr Seely said Jarvis would buy another girl cigarettes and ask her for kisses during counselling sessions. At one time friends were sending pictures of one another in underwear and Jarvis asked her to send some pictures to him, it is alleged. Jarvis was said to be helping one teenage boy through a hard time with counselling but they became friends on Facebook and Jarvis would make sexual remarks to him, ask for pictures of him and asked him to take his trousers down on two occasions. Jarvis is also alleged to have bought the boy cannabis and given him ?100 on one occasion. The court heard Jarvis tried to kiss another boy, talked about inappropriate sexual matters with him and ask him to send photos of himself. Mr Seely said Jarvis will argue the allegations are untrue and malicious.
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