Court hears ex-priest ‘preyed’ on two boys

By Neil Vowles
Argus
July 7, 2015

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/13373896.Court_hears_ex_priest____preyed____on_two_boys/

Christopher Howarth, 67, outside Hove Trial Centre

A FORMER priest and deputy school headmaster “preyed” on two young boys for his own sexual gratification over a seven year period, a court has heard.

Christopher Howarth appeared yesterday at Hove Trial Centre accused of 20 counts of sexual activity with the two boys, between 2004 and 2011.

The 67-year-old is accused of engaging the boys, who were pupils at the school and members of his congregation, in sexual activity in return for up to £100 a time, computer games and mobile phone contracts.

Howarth, of Rocks Park Road in Uckfield, said the boys’ allegations were motivated by “financial gain” knowing he had a second bank account containing thousands of pounds.

The former deputy headteacher at Uckfield Community Technology College said he treated the boys like “his own children” and while he could be “tactile” with them or kiss them, there was “nothing inappropriate” about their relationship.

One victim said that Howarth, who was a priest at St Michael’s in Little Horsted, Holy Cross in Uckfield and St Margaret’s in Ifield, justified his sexual behaviour as “preparing him for getting a girlfriend” so that he would not be “scared”.

One of the victims first revealed the abuse, which began when he was ten, to his mother seven years later as he was about to meet a support worker to discuss his misuse of cannabis, the court heard.

He later told police he would spend the money Howarth gave him on cannabis and “smoked himself stupid” throughout his teenage years.

The second victim came to police with fresh allegations following press reports of Howarth’s arrest in 2012 saying the coverage had brought back “all the memories he had tried to forget”.

Prosecutor Henrietta Paget said Mr Howarth had carried out “long-standing and entrenched sexual abuse” of the two boys.

An all-women jury was sworn in yesterday and they are expected to retire for deliberation next week.

The jury heard a Canon camera with a second memory card tucked into the camera case was uncovered by police and showed images of one of the alleged victims.