Francis Ward has already been jailed twice for sex offences - but somehow avoided another spell behind bars
A disgraced former church worker who has already served two jail terms for sex offences has escaped being jailed for a third time for indecency with two boys in the late 80s.
Francis Ward committed the offences between 1985 and 1991 at a time when he was a volunteer worker at All Souls Roman Catholic church in Kingsland Avenue, Chapelfields.
The court heard that his role brought him into contact with young boys at the church, and he took advantage of that to indecently assault his two victims.
At Warwick Crown Court he pleaded guilty to six charges of indecently assaulting one boy at the church and one of indecently assaulting another boy.
Despite his previous convictions for similar offences Ward, 65, of Granville Square, Edgbaston, Birmingham, was given a community sentence with supervision for three years.
Judge Andrew Lockhart QC also ordered Ward to take part in a three-year sex offender group work programme and to register as a sex offender for five years.
Sentencing Ward, Judge Lockhart told him: “Between 1985 and 1991 you were a senior altar server at All Souls Church where you committed a series of serious offences against two young boys.
“It was a place they should have felt safe. It left (one boy) feeling let down, and he says it has ruined his faith.
“It was abuse in a position of trust, for which the starting point is 12 months, and it is aggravated by the fact that it was offending at a church.
“I have absolutely no doubt that you richly deserve a custodial sentence today. I could certainly justify one.
“However, I consider you finally need to address your offending. The only way it can be properly addressed is by way of you receiving a lengthy community order, and as part of that you will have to completer the community sex offender group work programme in order that I can better protect the public.
“You will have to address the distorted thinking you have plainly had during your life.”
The judge, who said he would reserve any breaches of the order to himself, also barred Ward from working with young people and imposed a sexual harm prevention order banning him from having unsupervised contact with any child.
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2016 2:03 pm