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Roman Catholic Priest, 66, and 71-year-old Man Charged with Historic Sexual Abuse at Children's Home

By Sara Smyth
Daily Mail
July 22, 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2374074/Roman-Catholic-priest-66-71-year-old-man-charged-historic-sexual-abuse-childrens-home.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

A 66-year-old priest and 71-year-old man have been charged in relation to alleged historic sexual abuse at a children's home in Hounslow, police said tonight.

Father Anthony McSweeney was today charged with three counts of indecent assault, three of making indecent images of a child, one count of taking indecent images of a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child.

The arrests follow an investigation into the abuse alleged to have taken place at Grafton Close Children's Home in west London.

Arrests: 70-year-old John Stingemore, right, and 66-year-old Anthony McSweeney right, have been charged by police over an alleged paedophile ring dating back to the 1980s

Arrests: 70-year-old John Stingemore, right, and 66-year-old Anthony McSweeney right, have been charged by police over an alleged paedophile ring dating back to the 1980s

John Stingemore, 71, was charged with eight counts of indecent assault, two of taking indecent images of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit buggery.

The men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in September. A third man arrested in connection with Operation Fernbridge remains of police bail.

It is claimed that boys living at Grafton Close were taken to Elm Guest House (pictured) in nearby Barnes where they were subjected to appalling sexual abuse

The charges relate to seven victims, all of whom were aged between nine and 15 years when the offences took place during the 70s and 80s.

Operation Fernbridge was launched with the help of Labour MP Tom Watson to investigate claims that a group of senior 'Establishment' figures sexually abused boys in council care throughout the 1980s.

Stingemore is believed to be a former deputy of head of Grafton Close children's home in Richmond, which is at the centre of the abuse allegations.

Former ministers, senior MPs, top police officers and those with links to the royal household are alleged to have indecently assaulted vulnerable, under-age males at a care home and nearby guest house.

Grafton Close shut more than 20 years ago and police have stressed that the abuse claims are historic and are not linked with the current occupants of Elm Guest House, which has been converted into flats.

Allegations over Elm Guest House first emerged at a 1990 inquest into the suicide of its German manager Carole Kasir.

Child protection campaigners said at the hearing that in 1988 she told them boys from council-run Grafton Close had been taken to the guesthouse and abused.

Mrs Kasir had a 1982 conviction for running a brothel. But campaigners said the manager had no idea at the time of the child abuse.

It is claimed that boys living at Grafton Close were taken to Elm Guest House in nearby Barnes where they were subjected to appalling sexual abuse.

One frequent visitor to the guest house is said to have been Liberal MP Cyril Smith, who is widely believed to have abused the teenage boys who lived in a hostel run by him.

Anyone with information, who has any concerns or believes they may have been a victim is asked to contact the NSPCC on their helpline 0808 800 5000.

 

 

 

 

 




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