A retired vicar who indecently assaulted a young girl over forty years ago has been jailed following a trial at Kingston Crown Court.
Graham Gregory, 79 (10 March 1936) of Brockfield Park Drive, Huntington, York was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, 26 May having been found guilty in 2014 of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 13 years.
Police have asked that anyone who may have been a victim or has any further information to contact their local police force on 101.
Gregory was acquitted of two further counts of indecent assault following a retrial at the same court.
Detectives were contacted by a woman in 2012 who claimed that she had been abused as a child between 1969 and 1971 when she lived in Wandsworth and attended the church where Gregory was curate. She told officers that he kissed her on several occasions before assaulting her.
A second woman – who also knew Gregory through the same church – informed officers that she too had been abused as a child.
Gregory was interviewed on 26 January 2013 by officers. He denied the allegations and claimed not to know one of the women. He was summoned to attend Kingston Crown Court on Monday, 8 December 2014 with five counts of indecent assault on a female under 13-years-old and found guilty of two indecent assaults.
Detective Constable Aaron Vardy, of the Met’s Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: Gregory abused his position as a figure of trust and authority. It takes a lot of courage to report this type of crime and in some cases victims feel that they are only able to come forward years after the offence.
This conviction highlights that regardless of how much time has passed, we remain committed to bringing offenders before the courts.
I would urge anyone else who may have been a victim of Gregory’s abuse to contact with the police.
As well as working as curate in Southfields, Wandsworth, Gregory also held positions in Hastings, Chichester, York and the Isle of Man as a vicar.
