Father Anthony White, 64, now of Cross-In-Hand, Heathfield, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Friday 10 June after being convicted at Chichester Crown Court on April 1 of two counts of indecent assault and one count of buggery against a boy then aged 15 in Horsham during 1992 and 1993, at the address where White was then living while working as an Assistant Priest at St Johns Church.
White was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison for buggery and five years in prison for each indecent assault charge, to run concurrently. He will be imprisoned for two-thirds of his sentence.
The CPS-authorized prosecution followed an investigation by detectives from the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit after police received a report for the first time in 2020. Specially trained officers have assisted the victim, and officers have had full cooperation from church authorities throughout the investigation.
White got to know the boy when he and his family attended the church,” Detective Constable Yvonne Daddow said. He gradually gained their trust, and the boy began to pay visits to the priest’s home in Horsham under the guise of doing some housework. On the first occasion, however, White plied the boy with alcohol before raped him. He also sexually assaulted the teenager on several other occasions.
“The victim kept these heinous experiences to himself for nearly 30 years, and they had a significant impact on his mental health and well-being throughout that time.” Only after watching a TV documentary about unrelated cases of priest misconduct did he feel comfortable coming forward and disclosing what had happened to him.
“I’d like to thank the witnesses for taking the time to come forward and assist the police in this investigation.”
“We will always investigate such cases and support victims, seeking justice wherever possible, regardless of how long the events are said to have occurred.”
