(UNITED KINGDOM)
Cambridge News [Cambridgeshire, England]
October 14, 2025
By Cait Findlay
Dennis Finbow used his position within the church to abuse children throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He has been described as a ‘prolific’ offender.
A former priest who used his position to abuse children has had his prison sentence extended by 11 years. Dennis Finbow was convicted in early 2023 for sexually abusing a child in the 1980s while offences in the most recent case date back to 1974.
The 77-year-old claimed all the allegations against him were “nonsense” in police interview. However, he later admitted multiple offences and on Friday (October 10), at Cambridge Crown Court, he had his current sentenced extended.
He admitted touching a boy in 1974 at a school where he was teaching, prior to being ordained. He also abused an altar boy between August 1984 and August 1985, a girl between February 1984 and February 1985, a girl between 1987 and 1991 and a third girl between 1987 and 1988.
Finbow met these victims through his work as a priest in the Catholic Church. He admitted eight counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14, four counts of indecent assault of a boy under 14, two counts of indecent assault of a girl under 16, and one count of indecent assault on a woman over 16.
Finbow was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
DC Annette Renwick, who investigated, said: “This has been a long and complex investigation and I wish to commend all of the victims for their patience, understanding and bravery in coming forward and working together with the force to bring Dennis Finbow to justice.
“Dennis Finbow was a prominent figure within the Catholic Church in Cambridgeshire during the 1980s and 1990s that parishioners looked up to. At the time, he was seen to do a lot of good within the community: running youth social clubs, football clubs and taking part in charity events.
“We never want to entertain the thought that a person in a position of trust would harm a child, yet unfortunately it does happen and Finbow used his role in society to engineer opportunities to offend.
“The Diocese of East Anglia has been instrumental in working with the force by allowing access to their records and taking their own safeguarding actions against Finbow, who said that he was ‘disgusted’ by the accusations when interviewed by police, yet pleaded guilty to 15 counts of child sex offences. His offending was prolific, and over many years.
“I would encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse, no matter how long ago, to come forward and report it.”