Former East Sussex vicar given life sentence for child sex offences

A former Anglican vicar who admitted raping a child in his parish has been jailed.

Ifor Whittaker, 80, was a vicar going by the name of Father Colin Pritchard at St John The Baptist Church in Sedlescombe, East Sussex, when he committed the offences.

The offences are reported to have taken place during the late 1990s when the victim – now a man in his 30s – was a young child.

Whittaker gained the trust of his young victim and sexually abused him in the vestry of the church.

The victim reported the abuse in February, 2022, at which point Whittaker was serving a 15-year sentence for non-recent sexual offences against a child. Those offences also related to his role as a vicar.

Sussex Police worked closely with the Diocese of Chichester Safeguarding Team throughout the investigation.

Whittaker was subsequently charged with rape and gross indecency, which he admitted at Hove Crown Court on 25 October.

At the same court on Tuesday, 12 November, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum sentence of eight years.

Detective Constable Nicky Beard said: “Ifor Whittaker is a predator who used his position of trust in the community to rape and sexually abuse young children.

“That level of betrayal must not be underestimated. Whittaker christened the victim in this investigation as a baby; he had earned the trust of his family – but he went on to abuse him in the most appalling way.

“The effects of that abuse have lasted a lifetime, but he has shown incredible strength and courage to report Whittaker’s crimes to police and ensure he has faced justice.

“I hope this outcome can provide some level of closure as he continues to come to terms with the trauma, while Whittaker spends most, if not all, of the rest of his life behind bars.

“If you are a victim of sexual offending, no matter how long ago, please report it to the police. Don’t suffer in silence – sometimes just reporting an incident can make a huge difference.

“We will listen to you, we will support you and we will do everything we can to get you the justice you deserve.”