Church of England vicar finally faces justice for sick crimes

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A retired Church of England vicar has been jailed more than 30 years after he indecently assaulted a young girl, police have revealed.

Thomas De Lacey, 77, was ordained by the church in the early 1990s and is now retired. He twice indecently assaulted a girl who was visiting his house when he was a trainee Church of England minister, Lancashire Police has revealed.

Now justice has caught up with him and he's been jailed for four years. The victim came forward as an adult to report what happened to her as a girl. READ MORE: Police uncover 'industrial size' criminal operation after stopping suspicious lorry driver on quiet street De Lacy was found guilty by a jury after a five-day trial in February of two offences of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14.

He was jailed today, Friday, by a judge at Preston Crown Court Sessions House. In a statement, Lancashire Police said: "De Lacey was a trainee Church of England minister when he twice indecently assaulted a girl who was visiting his house in Preston to help with a church matter. "The victim kept what happened to herself before summoning up the courage in 2022 to make a complaint via the Diocese of Blackburn safeguarding team who alerted Lancashire Police.