Catholic priest Alexander Bede-Walsh guilty of child abuse

A CATHOLIC priest has been found guilty of sexually abusing young children.

Alexander Bede-Walsh was found guilty of 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of buggery, dating back to the 70s, 80s and 90s.

The 58-year-old, who worked at churches in the West Midlands, will be sentenced on March 9.

Sue Hanson, senior crown prosecutor from West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This has been a protracted enquiry, but were now scattered across the country and indeed abroad.

"Because of the defendant’s position as a priest, the victims and their families had trusted him completely, but the defendant abused that trust when he committed these offences.

"I hope the verdict brings a sense of closure for the victims and their families."

Bede-Walsh - who had previous convictions for possession of indecent images - had denied the charges.