UNITED KINGDOM
Lancaster Today
A Catholic priest from Lancaster has been sentenced to 12 months in jail for sexually abusing a young man.
Stephen Shield, 55, former priest at Lancaster Cathedral, was convicted of three counts of indecent assault upon the man who had hopes of a future in the priesthood.
More than 240 parishioners signed a petition in support of Shield, which was handed to the court by Shield’s barrister, Paul Humphries.
Shield continues to deny the sex attacks but Judge Anthony Russell QC, sentencing, said he had targeted the young man due to his vulnerability, adding that the man felt his complaints would not be taken seriously because of Shield’s status as a priest.
Preston Crown Court heard how the sex assaults, committed in the 1980s and 90s had affected the man psychologically and spiritually.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.