Priest accused of sending naked pictures to teen girl is cleared

A PRIEST accused of sexual activity with a schoolgirl has been cleared after the allegations were dramatically dropped.

John Sweeney, 45, was accused of committing the offence between September 2016 and June 2017.

Sweeney was a priest at St Maria Goretti Roman Catholic church in Glasgow’s Cranhill at the time. He also served as a chaplain at a secondary school in the city where the girl was a pupil.

Sweeney yesterday went on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The girl – who is now 21 but was under 18 at the time – gave evidence to jurors before prosecutor Harry Findlay later said he was withdrawing the charges. Sweeney – who denied the accusations – was then formally acquitted by Sheriff Andrew Cubie.

Prosecutors had claimed Sweeney repeatedly engaged in sexual activity with the schoolgirl while in a position of trust. He was accused of kissing the girl and sending naked pictures of himself. It was further alleged the girl was supplied with alcohol and asked about her sexual history by Sweeney.

He faced a separate charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at a parish house in the city in October 2016.