In 2021, Brian Rutledge, THEN an 82-year-old former Catholic priest from Gosport, was jailed for nine years for historical child rape and sexual abuse.
Brian Rutledge, of St George’s Walk, Gosport, was convicted following a trial at Reading Crown Court of two counts of indecent assault on a child under 16 and one count of buggery with a child under 16. The court heard that the offences occurred during the 1980s while Rutledge was serving as a parish priest at a church in Reading.
Rutledge established and ran several youth groups, targeting a 15-year-old member of one of the clubs. During a stay at Rutledge’s address, the victim woke to find the priest sitting on his bed, who told the child he had been “chosen by God” before sexually assaulting and raping him. Afterwards, Rutledge instructed the victim to keep the attack secret, claiming it was practice for becoming a priest.
Thames Valley Police investigated the allegations, bringing Rutledge to trial, where the court heard he had previously served a prison sentence imposed in 2008 for indecent assaults against a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old.
The judge sentenced Rutledge to nine years’ imprisonment.
Following his convictions, Rutledge was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
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