Pedophile priest jailed 21 years
Source: Agencies |
October 23, 2010, Saturday
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A FORMER Roman Catholic priest was jailed for 21 years for sexual offenses against young boys by a British court yesterday after his extradition from the United States.
James Robinson, a former boxer and colliery blacksmith, was found guilty of 21 charges of sexual abuse between 1959 and 1983, including offenses against two altar boys.
The pedophile used his status as a priest to gain "unfettered and unlimited" access to boys, giving them gifts and taking them on trips in his sports car, the court in Birmingham heard.
Judge Patrick Thomas described the defendant as devious and manipulative, someone who abused his position of trust.
"The offenses you committed were unimaginably wicked and caused immense and long-lasting - we can only hope not permanent - damage," he said during sentencing.
"You enjoyed, I have no doubt at all, selecting your victims, choosing vulnerable children."
Robinson, whose full name is Richard John James Robinson, fled to the United States in 1985 and was extradited from California last year to face trial.
Brought up near Walsall, Robinson had moved from parish to parish, including the Black Country, Staffordshire, Birmingham and Coventry, gaining local families' trust and grooming the youngsters for abuse.
The 73-year-old, who was ordained in 1971, had denied all charges.
Unusually, he did not face charges relating to two of his six victims because they contacted the police after he was extradited, the Press Association reported.
"I have no doubt there are more victims, not only in this country but in America," Detective Sergeant Harry May said after the guilty verdicts.
James Robinson, a former boxer and colliery blacksmith, was found guilty of 21 charges of sexual abuse between 1959 and 1983, including offenses against two altar boys.
The pedophile used his status as a priest to gain "unfettered and unlimited" access to boys, giving them gifts and taking them on trips in his sports car, the court in Birmingham heard.
Judge Patrick Thomas described the defendant as devious and manipulative, someone who abused his position of trust.
"The offenses you committed were unimaginably wicked and caused immense and long-lasting - we can only hope not permanent - damage," he said during sentencing.
"You enjoyed, I have no doubt at all, selecting your victims, choosing vulnerable children."
Robinson, whose full name is Richard John James Robinson, fled to the United States in 1985 and was extradited from California last year to face trial.
Brought up near Walsall, Robinson had moved from parish to parish, including the Black Country, Staffordshire, Birmingham and Coventry, gaining local families' trust and grooming the youngsters for abuse.
The 73-year-old, who was ordained in 1971, had denied all charges.
Unusually, he did not face charges relating to two of his six victims because they contacted the police after he was extradited, the Press Association reported.
"I have no doubt there are more victims, not only in this country but in America," Detective Sergeant Harry May said after the guilty verdicts.
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