Priest jailed for sex abuse

William Green, 67, abused pupils aged 11 to 15 at St Bede's Boys' School, Whalley Range, Manchester, between 1975 and 1987 while working as a religious education teacher.

Green abused "lonely" and vulnerable boys hundreds of times, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Green, of Walmer Bridge, Preston, presented himself as a "friendly father figure" who won his victims' trust by offering them "privileges and treats" of tea, sweets, cigarettes and television in his room, Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, told the court.

He added: "The sexual abuse followed a similar pattern in all cases: games of wrestling progressed to acts of simulated intercourse in which the defendant rubbed himself against the boys."

Green also assaulted an eight-year-old boy at St Margaret Mary's Junior School, Moston, in 1968, where he also worked as a teacher. The court heard Green's victims suffered from depression and anxiety and that one victim attempted suicide as a result of the abuse.

Passing sentence, Judge Goldstone QC said: "As a priest and teacher you systematically and sexually abused boys whose ages ranged between 11 and 15. These boys were vulnerable and they were groomed by you for the purposes of your own sexual gratification."

He added: "I have been invited to temper justice with mercy, but my principle duty is to punish you and deter others in positions of trust or authority from behaving similarly.

"Your remorse is genuine but it is a pity that you showed no mercy to your victims while you were abusing them."

Green pleaded guilty to 27 counts of indecent assault.