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| Retired priest Robert Coles jailed for sexually abusing boys | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A retired Church of England priest from East Sussex has been jailed for eight years for sexual offences against three boys aged between 10 and 16. | A retired Church of England priest from East Sussex has been jailed for eight years for sexual offences against three boys aged between 10 and 16. |
| Robert Coles, 71, of Upperton Road, Eastbourne, pleaded guilty to 11 charges of abusing boys in West Sussex, Devon, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. | Robert Coles, 71, of Upperton Road, Eastbourne, pleaded guilty to 11 charges of abusing boys in West Sussex, Devon, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. |
| Brighton Crown Court was told the Crown Prosecution Service had decided not to proceed with seven other charges. | Brighton Crown Court was told the Crown Prosecution Service had decided not to proceed with seven other charges. |
| The judge ordered the seven other charges to lie on the court file. | The judge ordered the seven other charges to lie on the court file. |
| The court heard former parish priest Coles, who also worked in Horsham, pleaded guilty at a hearing on 14 December to five charges against one victim and three against each of the other two. | |
| He was jailed for five years for the offences against the first boy and 18 months for each of the three indecent assaults against the other two, to run consecutively. | |
| Sussex Police said there was nothing to suggest any children were currently at risk. | |
| Det Insp Jez Prior said detectives admired the courage of Coles's victims in coming forward and being prepared to give evidence against him. | |
| "We continue to encourage people wishing to report offences to contact us, regardless of how along ago alleged offending took place," he said. | |
| "In carrying out this investigation we also received full co-operation from the Diocese of Chichester." | |
| Coles was also served with a sexual offences prevention order prohibiting him from unsupervised contact with boys under 16, and from seeking any employment or voluntary work with children under 16. | |
| He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life on his release from prison. | |
| Coles was arrested last March following a six-month investigation by Sussex Police. |