'Devil in a dog collar' priest faces jail for sex abuse
12 April 2012
A priest is facing jail for sexually abusing schoolboys over a 36-year period.
Father David Pearce admitted assaulting five pupils when he was headmaster at a Roman Catholic school.
The first attack at St Benedict's School, in Ealing, took place in 1972. The abuse finally ended last January.
The 67-year-old was told that a "substantial custodial sentence" was an "overwhelming possibility".
One victim said: "I believe the Church are responsible - they knew what he was up to. Devil in a dog collar sums him up."
At Isleworth crown court, Pearce admitted 10 indecent assaults against four boys under 16 and sexually assaulting a fifth. The attacks involved caning and intimate touching. Pearce will be sentenced in October.
