A FORMER CATHOLIC priest in Woodley has been jailed for nine years over sex offences against a boy.
Brian Rutledge, 82, of St Georges Walk, Gosport, Hampshire, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 and one count of buggery with a boy under 16 following a trial at Reading Crown Court which concluded on Friday, May 21.
The offences all happened in the 80s when Rutledge was a parish priest at St John Bosco Church in Western Avenue, Woodley.
Rutledge set up and ran a number of clubs for boys, and the victim, who was 15 at the time, was a member of one of these groups.
Police said during a stay at Rutledge’s home, the boy was sexually abused and raped.
Rutledge told the victim not to tell anyone about what had happened, saying that keeping it as a secret was good practice for when he became a priest.
The victim woke to find Rutledge sitting on his bed and he told the teen he had been “chosen” before climbing into bed with him.
The victim was so traumatised by the assault, he gave up entering priesthood.
Investigating officer detective constable Neil Callaway of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit based at Reading police station, said: “What Rutledge did was a complete abuse of his position within the Catholic church and the local community.
“He had no concern for his victim, only for his own gratification.
“He is now in prison where he belongs.”
Detective constable Callaway said the victim showed incredible strength and bravery in speaking about what happened to him.
“This conviction shows that when victims come forward and report crimes such as these, they will be believed, and no matter what the passage of time, they will get justice,” he said.
This is the second time Rutledge has been found guilty of sexually assaulting teenage boys.
