Ex-council Leader Abused Teenager

Rutland & Stamford Mercury
March 9, 2012

http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/ex-council-leader-abused-teenager-1-3605326

A former Worcestershire council leader and church minister who "used his positions of power and trust to sexually abuse vulnerable females" has admitted indecently assaulting a teenage girl, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

George Lord, 79, from Bromsgrove, pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16, during a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court.

The crimes were committed in 1977, when he was a church minister in Droitwich.

The pensioner, ex-leader of Worcestershire County Council, had denied the charges and was due to face trial later this month, but changed his plea during a pre-trial hearing this afternoon.

He was convicted of a separate sexual assault on a woman in January.

Jurors at that trial heard he assaulted a 19-year-old woman as he took her on a tour of the County Hall in 2010, while he still held the position of leader.

David Elliott, sector crown prosecutor from West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: "George Lord used his positions of power and trust as a church minister and later as the leader of Worcestershire County Council to sexually abuse vulnerable females.

"The victims should have been able to expect the highest levels of propriety and integrity from him, however, they were instead exploited for his own personal sexual gratification.

"I would like to thank the victims who supported the prosecution case, in particular one of the victims who read in the media about Lord being arrested and charged with sexual assault, she then had the courage to come forward and report to the police about how he abused her 35 years ago for which he has today pleaded guilty to."

Lord was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.