BishopAccountability.org
 
 

Catholic Priest Accused of String of Sex Crimes against Children Was "Sex Mad', Alleged Victim Tells Court

By Stephanie Wareham
Bucks Free Press
February 5, 2019

https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/17409989.catholic-priest-accused-of-string-of-sex-crimes-against-children-was-sex-mad-alleged-victim-tells-court/

A Roman Catholic priest accused of sex crimes against six girls and boys was "sex mad", a jury heard today.

Father Francis McDermott, now 75, had a locked cabinet by his bed at his High Wycombe home that contained pornographic magazines, one of his alleged victims claimed at his trial at Aylesbury Crown Court this week.

The man, who is now in his late 50s, said his family were friends with Francis McDermott when he was training to be a priest in North London in the early 1970s.

He said: "Both my parents were Roman Catholic. My mum was of Irish descent and they both thought a lot of Frank. He was born in Ireland.

"My mother was very honoured that she had a future priest as a close friend of family.

"I adored him. He was my best friend. I think I loved him more than I loved my parents. He had a lot of time for me. He took me to a lot of places."

The man, who gave evidence behind a screen at the court, said: "He stayed over (at the family home in London) on a regular basis - twice a week.

"He stayed over in my bed. My parents would allow this and I thought it ok. It would be top and tail. One at top and one at bottom of the bed."

But he told the jury of five women and seven men that Frank sexually abused him on a regular basis. "I was still in primary school. He asked me to touch his penis and said my mother asked him to tell me factors of life," he said.

 

 

 

 

 




.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.