Judge slams vile clergyman who preyed on young boys

A DISGRACED priest was yesterday jailed for nine years for the historic sexual abuse of three young boys and a trainee priest. Father Francis Moore, 82, was told by Judge Lady Rae that he had abused his position as a parish priest. One of his victims, Paul Smyth, urged other victims of historic abuse to come forward. Moore, who was also known as Father Paul, was found guilty after trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month. He had denied sexually abusing the three boys between BY WILMA RILEY reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk 1977 and 1996, forcing them to relive their ordeals in court.

Rae told him: “You have been convicted of despicable crimes involving the sexual abuse of three children 40 years ago and more recently of a student priest. What you did was a gross breach of trust.”

The pervert showed no emotion as he was led away to begin his sentence.

Allegations against Moore were first raised in 1996 but it was not until 2015 that police launched an investigation, after former officer and ex-Labour MSP Graeme Pearson raised the matter at Holyrood.

The court heard the priest groomed some of his victims by taking them swimming or out for meals before sexually abusing them.

A witness said when he was aged between 11 and 13, he and a group of others went to the Magnum Leisure Centre in Irvine with Moore to swim.

He said that as they stood getting dried, Moore said: “We’re all boys here,” and tried to grab his towel.

The priest who was abused by Moore told the jury that on two occasions, he woke to find the pervert, who he knew as Father Paul, beside his bed touching his genitals.

Paul, 49, who was sexually abused as a boy on Irvine beach, said: “I am glad justice is done and I can finally put this behind me.

“I am sure there are other survivors who were too scared to come forward.

“Tell a teacher, tell your parents, tell the police, tell the clergy.

“There are good clergy as well as abusive clergy in the Catholic Church.”