Former Bexhill vicar accused of child sex offences

The former vicar of St Barnabas Church in Bexhill has been charged with non-recent sexual offences against a boy in Sedlescombe following a Sussex Police investigation.

Ifor Whittaker, 72, now of Rectory Road, Sutton, Surrey, previously known as Colin Pritchard, has been charged with seven offences against the boy, then aged under 16, more than 20 years ago.

They are; two offences of inciting the boy to commit an act of gross indecency; two offences of gross indecency, two offences of buggery, and one offence of conspiracy with another man, the late vicar of Brede Roy Cotton, to commit acts of indecency with the boy.

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He is due to appear at Crawley Magistrates Court on Wednesday, May 24.

Whittaker was vicar of Sedlescombe at the time, and the offences are alleged to have taken place in the vicarage there.

None of the charges relate to Whittaker’s time in Bexhill.

The charges, authorised by the CPS, follow an investigation by the Sussex Police Complex Abuse Unit and detectives have had full co-operation from the Diocese of Chichester throughout the investigation.

Police say there are no current safeguarding issues for the church or the local community in relation to this investigation.

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