A priest under investigation for historic sexual offences against children was able to take part in funeral services because of “data protection rules”, a former colleague has said.
Rev Canon Timothy Biles, 89, was sentenced to six years imprisonment on Tuesday after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two pupils at a boarding school during the 1960s.
Biles had worked as a PE teacher and chaplain at a private boarding school run by Franciscan monks in Hooke, near Beaminster, Dorset.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard how Biles had repeatedly molested one victim by having him sit on his lap while they watched episodes of Top of the Pops while other pupils and staff were present in the common room.
He sexually abused a second victim by summoning him to his private quarters four times and making him strip so he could supposedly examine him to see if he was ready to be confirmed.
Biles, who was presented with an MBE by the late Queen for services to the Church of England, was convicted of five counts of sexual assault against a male.
His offending had remained undetected until 2018 when two of his victims reconnected on Facebook and disclosed the abuse they had endured.
Staff at Sherborne Abbey were informed about the police investigation two years ago – davidevison/iStockphoto
The Diocese of Salisbury informed Sherborne Abbey, where Biles had served as an honorary assistant curate, about the police investigation two years ago.
However, it was not until last week that the ministry team at Beaminster, where Biles once served as a team rector and had been allowed to participate in funeral services, learnt of the allegations.
Rev Canon David Baldwin, rector of the Beaminster Team Ministry, cited “safeguarding and data protection” rules for why he and colleagues were not informed about the case for two years.
He said: “The diocese was informed in 2022 that the police were investigating complaints against [Biles] and the full protocol over who should have been informed was followed, this included the rector and safeguarding officer for Sherborne Abbey.
“The first time the Beaminster team was aware was last Wednesday.
“Although [Biles’s] permission to officiate in the diocese had been revoked in 2022, he never informed me on the occasions that I invited him to take part in services in the Beaminster team.”
He said parishioners were informed during Sunday service at the 15 churches in the area and the news was greeted with “sadness, anger and unbelief”.
He recognised that parishioners may want to “vent their frustration and anger towards the Church so soon after the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
Officials said Biles had been asked to take part in a ‘very low’ number of funerals – BNPS
Rev Baldwin added: “Under safeguarding and data protection, if you have a safeguarding issue those who are informed is the parish where they hold worship because they are responsible and he worshipped in the Sherborne area.”
He said that while Biles had been asked to take part in a “very low” number of funerals there had been no children present and he had not led any services himself.
A spokesman for the Diocese of Salisbury said they were “horrified” to hear of his offending and that his permission to officiate as a priest was removed as soon as they were made aware of the police investigation in 2022.
They added that officials were reviewing whether the protocol had gone far enough and that they would attempt to ban him from being allowed to perform any clerical duties for the rest of his life.
Judge Jonathan Fuller told Biles during sentencing: “Both boys were vulnerable young children. You were aware of the power you had over them as an adult, as a teacher and as a priest.
“You described [the second victim] as pathetic, insecure and nervous. You, a priest, took advantage of what you would have known was a pathetic, insecure child. That is exploitation. They left the school and for many years kept what happened a secret.
“Both of these boys are now men and gave their accounts with considerable dignity.”
Joy Dykers, mitigating for Biles, told the court that he had led a “caring and compassionate existence” since his crimes.
She added that his main concern now was for how his elderly wife Joan would cope while he was in jail.