Former monk at Catholic boarding school given 20-year prison term for child sexual abuse

He was sentenced to 20 years 10 months at York Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting to a string of sexual offences committed more than 30 years ago against three boys aged between nine and 12.

Turner (pictured), who was previously known as Father Gregory Carroll, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 11 counts of indecent assault, two counts of buggery and one count of gross indecency with a child.

He served another jail sentence in 2005 after he admitted offences against 10 pupils at Ampleforth between 1979 and 1987.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said: “You have brought evil into this world when, by your calling, you should have brought hope, help and succour.”

The judge told Turner: “You were a priest at Ampleforth boarding school.”

He continued: “It’s a religious school and, no doubt, because of that, that’s a comfort to parents because they will be thinking that they are entrusting the care of their child to men of God, instead, in your case it was to a man of evil.”

The court heard emotional victim impact statements from the three men in which they spoke about the effect Turner’s abuse has had on their lives.

After sending Turner to the cells, Judge Morris said: “All of them have talked about their shame.

“They have nothing to be ashamed of, they carry no guilt.

“I hope this helps, in some way, to put them at peace.”