Cigar-smoking paedophile priest jailed for sexually abusing child

A retired priest who sexually abused a girl over a three-year period in the 1980s has been jailed for six years and six months. Dennis Finbow, who had worked in Dogsthorpe in Peterborough, was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault following an earlier trial at Huntingdon Crown Court, Cambridgeshire Police said.

The 74-year-old, now of Bealings Road, Martlesham, Suffolk, had asked the girl to take her clothes off and touched her inappropriately, the force said.

Finbow was sentenced on Wednesday at Cambridge Crown Court to six years and six months in prison, Cambridgeshire Police said.

Detective Constable Annette Renwick said afterwards: “I am pleased Finbow has finally faced justice.

“He subjected the victim to shocking sexual abuse which can leave serious lifelong psychological scars.

“His role was that of a person in a position of trust, a person that many parishioners admired but who also trusted him with their children. That trust he abused. The victim showed immense bravery to not only come forward, but also to support us with a prosecution and give evidence in court, which takes a huge amount of strength and courage.”

Prosecutor Nicholas Bleaney said when he was voluntarily interviewed, the defendant described the allegations “as nonsense and a fabrication”.

In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said Finbow was a cigar-smoking “larger than life” character who had a “secret life” as a paedophile. She said she now saw “every man I meet as a potential abuser”.

Judge Grey said the offence was “the clearest abuse of trust” and told Finbow: “Your actions… have caused significant lifelong psychological harm.”

He said that Finbow had targeted a “particularly vulnerable victim” and that it was “particularly heinous” he took advantage of his position.

The judge heard Finbow had prostate cancer and acknowledged the defendant’s “significant ill-health”.

Finbow was told he would be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

At the time he was convicted, the Right Reverend Peter Collins, Bishop of East Anglia, said he would be “seeking urgent legal advice” about removing Finbow’s clerical status and rights.

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