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	Priest 'Abused Boy before Morning Prayers' Rye & Battle Observer March 5, 2008 http://www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/latest-south-east-news/Priest-abused-boy-before-morning.3847203.jp A Catholic priest from Southampton tried to have sex with a teenage boy before suggesting they conduct morning prayers in his lounge, a court has heard. Brian Rutledge befriended the boy at a Catholic camp in Shropshire in 1975. The 69-year-old, who is now retired, then lay naked in bed with the boy on a pilgrimage to Turin, Italy. He later invited the boy, whose father is a Naval officer, to stay at his home, Southampton Crown Court was told. Prosecuting Tim Compton said: "When he was about 17-yea rs-old that's what he did. "Whilst he was staying he was invited by Mr Rutledge in to Mr Rutledge's bedroom. It was explained that what happened in Turin was not wrong. It ended with both naked under the bed clothes." Rutledge, from Woolston, then used the boy's hand to masturbate himself and attempted to have anal sex with the teenager, the jury heard. Rutledge pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault between March 3, 1981 and March 4, 1982 but denied one count of attempted buggery during the same dates. The boy went to the bathroom and got dressed after the assault, the court heard. Mr Compton said: "Whereupon Mr Rutledge suggested they should say morning prayers in the lounge which, rather bizarrely, is what they did." Rutledge was arrested in May last year after the allegations came to light.
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