A Methodist minister who was chaplain to prisoners at Magilligan Prison has
been charged with indecent child photograph offences.
It has now emerged that 51-year-old Rev Alan Macaulay has quit the church and
he has also left his position as a youth coach at one of Northern Ireland's
top ladies' hockey clubs, Ballymoney.
William Alan Macaulay, from Ballynacree Drive in Balnamore village near
Coleraine, appeared at North Antrim Magistrates Court facing two charges.
The first is that between April 23, 2010 and November 10, 2010 he made an
indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children.
The second count is that between the same dates he had an indecent photograph
or pseudo-photograph of children in his possession.
A Court Service
spokesman said the accused has yet to formally plead either guilty or not
guilty and he was released on £500 bail to appear in court again at the end
of August.
The spokesman said bail conditions stated he must live at an approved address,
not have any contact with any child or young people under 18, and not use a
computer unsupervised or take, send, receive or store any photographic or
video images.
A Methodist Church in Ireland representative said: "Mr Macaulay has
resigned as a minister of the Methodist Church in Ireland. He has not functioned as the Methodist Chaplain to Magilligan Prison
since November 2010."