Norwich: Man Jailed After Abusing Boys

19 November 2012, 15:34

A Norwich man who was a canon has been jailed for four years after sexually abusing three teenage boys.

75 year old Ronald Johns, of Kings Road in Coltishall was demoted to a village parish nearly 20 years ago by his bishop instead of police being informed of allegations made by his first victim.

The victim made an official complaint to the church in 1993 when, by then, Johns was a canon at Carlisle Cathedral.

Johns made admissions to the late Right Rev Ian Harland who felt the appropriate sanction was to move him to a church in Caldbeck.

The matter only came to the attention of police this year when another victim complained he had also been abused by Johns, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Police checked records at the cathedral which detailed the 1993 complaint dealt with by the Right Rev Harland, who died three years ago.

Johns pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to sexual offences committed against three boys - aged between 14 and 17 at the time - between 1983 and 1991.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Singh said: ``As you accept, you have ruined your life and brought disgrace upon yourself,'' adding that his pre-sentence report had summarised his behaviour as ``manipulative'' and ``predatory''.

It is understood that Johns was transferred to the new post at Caldbeck following guidance from a forensic psychiatrist that suggested he would not offend again.

Johns received a three-year jail term for two counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency in relation to one victim. 

He received additional sentences of six months each for acts of gross indecency on the two other teenagers.