UNITED KINGDOM
Local Guardian
The trial of a priest accused of abusing boys in a children’s home in the 70s and 80s has heard his cleaner found an indecent video at his home as far back as 1998.
Catholic priest Father Tony McSweeney, who was a friend of John Stingemore, the manager of the Richmond Council-run care home, denies four counts of indecent assault and four of taking or possessing indecent images of children.
Mr Stingemore was due to be on trial as well but he died on February 2 at his home in Hastings.
Prosecutor Sarah Plaschkes QC said: “From the time before he became a priest, he has had a sexual interest in teenage boys.
“Over the decades on various occasions, he has taken indecent images of teenage boys.
“In 1998 his cleaner found a video on his home. Finally when he was arrested in 2013, indecent images were found on his laptop.
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