Former priest Dennis Finbow guilty of child sex abuse

PETERBOROUGH (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Hunts Post [Huntingdon, England]

July 21, 2025

By Francesca Herring

A former Catholic priest, who is currently behind bars for historic child sex abuse, has pleaded guilty to further offences.

Dennis Finbow, who served the parishes of St Neots and Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, had pleaded guilty to 15 counts of indecent assault.

The abuse was against five victims – three females and two males – the majority of whom were under the age of 16 when they were abused by Finbow.

The offences took place between 1975 and 1992.

Finbow is currently serving a six-and-a-half year prison sentence for sexually abusing a young girl in the 1980s, while he was working in Dogsthorpe, Peterborough.

Between 1982 and 1985, Finbow would visit the family home of a young girl in Peterborough and go up to her bedroom, claiming that the girl’s mother sent him upstairs.

He would speak to her about becoming a woman, ask her to take her clothes off, and touch her inappropriately.

He is also on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Finbow, who is now 77, appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on July 14 to admit the 15 counts of child sex abuse.

It is not known where the offences took place.

He is due to be sentenced for the additional offences on September 15, 2025.

In December 2024, the late Pope Francis removed Dennis Finbow’s clerical status and rights.

The Diocese of East Anglia followed the process to have his clerical status and rights removed after he was convicted of the abuse in Peterborough.

Leigh Day solicitors, who are representing a survivor of Dennis Finbow’s abuse, has said it will continut to act on behalf of survivors.

Andrew Lord, a human rights partner at Leigh Day, said: “These further convictions confirm the widespread and sustained abuse carried out by Dennis Finbow over many years.

“We commend the bravery of the survivors who have come forward and are glad that Finbow’s guilty plea means that they shall not be subjected to giving evidence in a trial.”

By Francesca Herring, Trainee Reporter

@frannieherring

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