A PRIEST who taught at a leading Lancashire public school allegedly sexually assaulted a boy pupil, a jury was told.

The boy claimed at Preston Crown Court that Father James Chaning-Pearce carried out indecent assaults on him while he was in his GCSE year at Stoneyhurst College, near Clitheroe.

The first assault occurred in a tree house built in the grounds of the Jesuit-run school, whole other sexual misconduct took place in the priest's study.

The former pupil, who is now aged 21, told the court that he felt "scared" and "sick" by what Father Chaning-Pearce had done to him.

Father Chaning-Pearce, 57, of St Beuno's Retreat, St Asaph, North Wales, has pleaded not guilty to four charges of indecent assault.

When he was interviewed by the police in the autumn of last year following a complaint by the boy, the priest denied that any form of sexual misconduct had taken place.

Mr Peter Wright, prosecuting, told the court that the alleged offences occurred when the boy was about 15 or 16 years old and studying in his GCSE year at the school.

Father Chaning-Pearce was the priest for the boy's year and was responsible for pastoral care.

In the grounds of the school was built a large tree-house which was used by the pupils as a meeting place. They were also allowed to camp out and sleep in it at night.

Mr Wright said that one night, the boy and some other pupils had slept on the upper floor of the tree house, with Father Chaning-Pearce sleeping downstairs.

He told the jury of seven men and five women: "During the night the boy was covered up with a duvet.

"He recalls in the middle of the night awakening to find that somebody was touching him underneath the duvet.

"Upon looking up he saw it was Father Chaning-Pearce.

"The boy was in some degree of shock when he realised what was happening to him."

A few weeks later, the boy was in a corridor at the school when the priest asked him to come to his room.

Mr Wright said he then indecently assaulted him again.

"He told the boy that what was happening wasn't wrong and it was nothing to be ashamed of.

"The incident ended with Father Chaning-Pearce saying to the boy that he shouldn't feel bad or guilty about it," Mr Wright added.

Mr Wright alleged that this conduct took place on a number of occasions.

Giving evidence, the complainant described what had gone on in the tree house.

Concerning the incident in the study, the boy said the priest asked him to come to his room,

He said: "The same thing happened again. There was conversation about what had happened in the tree house.

"It was something along the lines that it wasn't bad and I shouldn't tell anybody."

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