Father David Taylor May Have Abused More Boys, Neil Mckay, The Journal , May 19, 2009

Father David Taylor May Have Abused More Boys

By Neil Mckay
The Journal
May 19, 2009

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2009/05/19/father-david-taylor-may-have-abused-more-boys-61634-23658094/

Father David Taylor

A PRIEST jailed for abusing young boys could have more victims, church bosses admitted last night.

Father David Taylor indecently assaulted three boys – all described as the sons of “devout” catholic families at Durham Crown Court yesterday.

And a Catholic church spokesman last night admitted the former youth chaplain for the Roman Catholic Hexham and Newcastle Diocese might have abused more youngsters. Taylor, 59, of Northumberland Avenue, Bedlington, Northumberland, had earlier admitted five offences of indecent assault on three boys aged between 12 and 15, between 1982 and 1986.

At the time, he was responsible for encouraging youngsters in the catholic faith. He was based at a former convent, the Sisters of Mercy, in Antrim Gardens, Seaham, County Durham.

Mark Guilliani, prosecuting, said Taylor assaulted his first victim at the retreat in Seaham when he climbed into bed with him after the youngster stayed over. He later committed further offences against him in a tent and a camper van at Holy Island, Northumberland, and also climbed into a bath with him.

Taylor also got into bed with the second victim at the retreat in Seaham, before performing an act of indecency. He later told the shocked youngster he had been “sleepwalking.”

The priest later indecently assaulted him in the camper van on outings to Seahouses and Holy Island. Taylor picked out his third victim, who at 15 was slightly older than the first two, when he met him on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, in the south west of France.

He later took him to Holy Island, accompanied by a party of primary schoolchildren from Newcastle. Mr Guilliani said the youngster became uneasy when Taylor began speaking to him about sexual matters. The following day the teenager was showering when Taylor joined him in the shower and indecently assaulted him.

Mr Guilliani said all three victims had the utmost respect for Taylor because he was a priest, and were “anxious to protect their parents’ faith in the Roman Catholic Church.” The offences only came to light years later when the third victim’s mother reported the allegations to the church, who contacted the police.

Peter Walsh, representing Taylor, said his client had ceased offending after leaving the post of Youth Chaplain.

Judge Guy Whitburn, who described the impact Taylor’s offending had on his victims as “devastating”, sentenced him to two and a half years on each charge, to run concurrently. He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

After the hearing, Father Dennis Tindall, child protection officer for the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese, said: “There may well have been other people who have been harmed by David Taylor, but we don’t have any evidence of that.

“The whole Catholic community feels the pain of this. The harm caused to any young person by a priest is as great as the trust placed in him because of the privileged position he holds. Wrongful invasive behaviour is the more damaging through such a serious breach of trust.”

Taylor was ordained in 1977 and his first appointment was at St Anthony’s, Walker, Newcastle where he remained until 1981. From there he went to Seaham.

From 1989 to 1991 he was at St Joseph’s, Sunderland, followed by a post at St John’s, Billingham, Teesside. He became parish priest at St Peter’s, Kells Lane, Low Fell, Gateshead in 2002 until February 2008, when he was “removed without prejudice.”