Jehovah’s Witness preacher had sex with 14-yr-old girl in a van

A JEHOVAH’S Witness preacher has been jailed for having sexual activity with a girl of 14 in the back of a van.

Dad-of-two Daniel Arthington claimed the girl was 19 when he was caught by police on a remote lane.

But after she told officers her real age, the 46-year-old said “I’m dead” as he was taken to a police station.

Arthington, of Llanddaniel, Anglesey, pleaded guilty at Caernarfon Crown Court and was sent to prison for two years and eight months.

“I’m satisfied there was an element of grooming involved in your successful attempt in snaring your young prey,” Judge Huw Rees told him.

“Your fall from grace is substantial but you have nobody to blame but yourself.’

Anna Pope, prosecuting, said the defendant had responsibilities which included being an elder and preacher.

She described how a local builder had noticed a van parked on occasions on the lane near Bangor Rugby Club.

He spotted it in the afternoon of Octo- ber 17, with a male driver and a female sitting close to him.

He told a friend who was a police officer, who arrived and could hear voices from the back of the van with “noises consistent with sexual activity”.

Miss Pope added: “He waited for about 20 minutes during which he saw the van rocking from side to side, and the prosecution say this was the defendant involved in sexual activity with a child.”

Arthington got back into the front seat, appearing short of breath, and the policeman asked the passenger to get out.

The court heard Arthington said to the girl: “Tell him you’re 19, I’ve already told him.” When asked for her date of birth the girl admitted she was 14.

Miss Pope said there was a mattress and sheet in the back of the van.

In an impact statement the girl said she now felt sad and depressed, had lost weight and couldn’t sleep. Her family are considering whether to move.

Simon Rogers, defending, said his client’s family was standing by Arthington.

“He’s deeply ashamed of what he has done and has let down himself and his family,” he said. “He’s been married 27 years with two children.”

References described him as “hard working, kind and compassionate”.

Judge Rees told Arthington he had been greedy and lustful. “You made a sly attempt to prevent the police from seeing her and tried to hoodwink them that she was 19,” he said.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed banning any contact with the girl, and he must register indefinitely as a sexual offender.

After the case Detective Sergeant Daf Curry, of Caernarfon CID, said: “The kind of acts this man perpetrated have caused his victim and her family huge damage.

“By exploiting a position of trust, particularly towards a vulnerable child, he has betrayed them all. I hope they feel some sense of justice has been reached and they can attempt to rebuild their lives.

“We welcome the sentence and I’d like to assure communities will treat every allegation of sexual abuse seriously and thoroughly pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

A spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses said Arthington was sacked as an elder soon after his arrest.

He added: “We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family of the girl. We abhor any child abuse.

“He was removed from a position of trust as soon as it became known.”

He added: “The elders are there to protect the welfare of the congregation. We detest this disgusting crime.”