Priest John Tovey pleads guilty to indecent assault charges in Napier

By Marty Sharpe
DominiPost
July 15, 2015

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hawkes-bay/70251366/priest-john-tovey-pleads-guilty-to-indecent-assault-charges-in-napier.html

Anglican priest John Tovey pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault.

An Anglican priest has pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault.

John Tovey entered guilty pleas to the charges in Napier District Court on Wednesday morning. The alleged offending occurred in Napier between April last year and January 2.

A third charge was withdrawn.

Tovey, 64, was previously a vicar in North Canterbury and a priest in charge at Churton Park in Wellington for five years, and then in Wainuiomata for 10 years, before moving to Hawke's Bay in 2010, where he became associate priest at All Saints parish in Taradale, a position he held until late 2011.

The church suspended Tovey's permission to officiate indefinitely, meaning he is not licensed or authorised to undertake any priestly duties.

He was remanded on bail to be sentenced in September.