Ex-Ampleforth College monk, 80, who sexually abused two young boys in the parish he was sent to after confessing to preying on a pupil is jailed for 20 years

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A former monk at England's 'Catholic Eton' boarding school who continued to abuse young boys after admitting having sexual contact with a pupil has been jailed for more than 20 years.

Peter Turner, 80, sexually abused two boys after he was forced to leave Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire, and sent away to work in a parish in Workington, Cumbria.

He was sentenced to 20 years 10 months at York Crown Court today after admitting to a string of sexual offences committed more than 30 years ago against three boys aged between nine and 12.

Turner, who was previously known as Father Gregory Carroll, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault, two counts of buggery and one count of gross indecency with a child on Tuesday.

Peter Turner, 80, sexually abused two boys after he was forced to leave Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire, and sent away to work in a parish in Workington, Cumbria 

The 80-year-old paedophile was remanded in custody yesterday ahead of today's sentencing

He served another jail sentence in 2005 after he admitted offences against 10 pupils at Ampleforth between 1979 and 1987.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said: 'You have brought evil into this world when, by your calling, you should have brought hope, help and succour.'

The judge told Turner: 'You were a priest at Ampleforth boarding school.'

He continued: 'It's a religious school and, no doubt, because of that, that's a comfort to parents because they will be thinking that they are entrusting the care of their child to men of God, instead, in your case it was to a man of evil.'

The court heard emotional victim impact statements from the three men in which they spoke about the effect Turner's abuse has had on their lives.

After sending Turner to the cells, Judge Morris said: 'All of them have talked about their shame.

Turner was moved from Ampleforth College, pictured, after he admitted to church authorities that he had been abusing boys between 1979 and 1987. He later abused two boys at the parish in Workington, Cumbria, where he had been moved by the church

'They have nothing to be ashamed of, they carry no guilt.

'I hope this helps, in some way, to put them at peace.'

The court heard Turner was ordained as a priest in 1969 and went on to teach at Ampleforth in the late 70s and early 80s, where he was known as Father Gregory Carroll. 

Turner was sent to work in a parish in Workington in 1987 after confessing to church authorities about having sexual contact with a pupil at Ampleforth.

He was recalled from Workington and confined to the monastery at Ampleforth after the 2001 publication of the Nolan Report on the problem of clerical child abuse.

Turner was jailed for four years in September 2005 after he admitted offences against 10 pupils at the school between 1979 and 1987. The sentence was later reduced by 12 months. 

Mitigating, Nicola Gatto told the court Turner had 'limited family' support after his previous conviction.

Ms Gatto said: 'It takes a degree of courage to admit what are truly horrific offences.

'What better display of remorse is there than a guilty plea.'

She added that Turner had described himself as 'no better than a worm' in a letter of apology.

Turner, pictured arriving at York Crown Court yesterday, was due to go on trial but entered guilty pleas to 14 charges

North Yorkshire Police's Non-Recent Abuse Investigation Team began a new investigation into Peter Turner in 2018 when the victim from Ampleforth College came forward to make a complaint.

He was already well-known to the police, then known as Father Gregory Carroll, after being convicted of non-recent child abuse in 2005 relating to his time as a monk at Ampleforth College and Abbey.

Following an extensive investigation led by Detective Sargeant Graeme Bevington, Turner was charged with more than 20 offences in March 2019.

DS Bevington said: 'Peter Turner, or Father Gregory Carroll as he was previously known when he was a monk at Ampleforth College and Abbey, is clearly a very depraved individual who targeted these vulnerable young boys for his own sexual gratification more than 30 years ago.

'The passage of time did not ease the pain and anguish suffered by his victims.

'I truly hope their bravery in coming forward to the police and the positive outcome secured at court, provides them with some comfort knowing that justice has been served against this vile man.'

DS Bevington added: 'This case proves yet again that it is never too late to report non-recent sexual abuse and to achieve justice.'

An NSPCC spokesperson said: 'Turner abused positions of trust and influence to commit horrendous assaults against a string of boys who should have been safe in their school and church environments.

'Every child deserves a happy and safe childhood, and Turner robbed these boys of that and left them with emotional and mental scars which could affect them forever.

They have showed remarkable courage, and proved the importance of speaking out no matter when abuse happened or who the perpetrator is.' 

Today a spokesperson for Ampleforth College said: 'The abuse of children goes against everything we stand for as a school and we know that the victims are likely to suffer terribly as a consequence of these crimes.

'We are devastated that a member of the monastic community can have abused our pupils in this way.

'Under its present leadership the school has transformed its safeguarding procedures and protocols, and we offer the high standards of care to our students that is expected in a boarding school today.'