Roman Catholic priest charged with sexual offences against boy in the Horsham district

Father Anthony White, 62, now of Cross-In-Hand, Heathfield, was summonsed to appear at Crawley Magistrates Court on April 28, to answer charges that he committed two offences of indecent assault and a sexual assault against a boy in the town more than 20 years ago, police said. At the time he was an assistant priest at St Johns Church.

A police spokesman added: “The defendant did not enter a plea and the case was committed for trial with an initial hearing at Lewes Crown Court on May 26.

“The prosecution, authorised by the CPS, follows an investigation by detectives from the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit after a report was received by police for the first time in 2020.”