A VICAR jailed for sexually abusing young boys over a 30-year-period has received the maximum penalty possible under the Clergy Discipline Measure.David Smith, formerly vicar of St John’s Church in Clevedon in the Diocese of Bath and Wells, has been told he can never work as a priest again.
The 52-year-old priest received a five-and-a-half year prison sentence in May for the abuse, and has now had his stipend stopped.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt Rev Peter Price, explained the delay in announcing the penalty, and said: “The legal processes we had to go through take a frustratingly long time but they have now been completed. “We can now look to the future with hope and confidence."
“The Church has been very well served by the Rev Victor Barley with the assistance of a retired priest, the Rev Nigel Hackett, and I pay tribute to the work they have done over the past months and they will continue while a search for a new vicar goes on."
“Their ministry there has been one of healing and reconciliation. The process of identifying the right person to be the new vicar of St John’s has now begun and a permanent appointment will be made as soon as possible.”
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