January 2014 Vicar had ‘8,200 child sex abuse images’ An Anglican vicar was caught with more than 8,000 images of child sexual abuse, including 800 of the “worst kind”, Liverpool Crown Court heard. Ian Hughes, 46, was a successful priest by day but by night was downloading thousands of indecent internet images of children, the court was told. Hughes admitted 17 offences and was jailed for a year. The Bishop of Chester said he was “deeply shocked” at Hughes’ “unacceptable” actions. Hughes has resigned from the priesthood. Expressing his “profound regret”, the Rt Rev Dr Peter Forster apologised to Hughes’ former parishioners in Poulton and Seacombe in Wallasey. He added: “They have been badly let down.” “Ian Hughes’ court appearances and sentencing have come as a deep shock to all who know him. His actions have been totally unacceptable for a Christian minister, and his case will now be considered by the disciplinary procedures of the church,” the bishop said. Hughes told police he was relieved when they raided his vicarage in Wallasey last year. They found 8,200 images he had downloaded, including 800 that are categorised as the worst kind legally. He told officers it was “like an addiction” and he had been attracted to young boys since he was a teenager and had “struggled” with his sexuality throughout his life. Det Insp David Rich, of Merseyside Police’s cyber investigations unit, said the sentence should “send out a very clear message to paedophiles that they cannot hide behind the anonymity of the internet to commit crimes against children and they will eventually be caught.” He added: “All the images represent children, in some way, being abused, and every time a picture is downloaded by a paedophile it creates a vicious circle of misery which eventually leads to more abuse and more victims.” January 2013 Pervert vicar facing prison sentence after pleading guilty to child abuse images offences A Merseyside vicar is facing jail after pleading guilty to making and possessing thousands of indecent images of children. The Rev Ian Hughes, who was priest in charge of the Wirral parishes Poulton and Seacombe, admitted 16 counts relating to more than 8,000 images and movies when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today. Hughes, 46, appeared in the dock wearing a dark suit and tie without his trademark nose ring and dog collar and replied guilty as each charge was put to him. He also admitted possession of an extreme pornographic image that was “grossly offensive and disgusting”  involving an animal. Hughes was charged following a search of his home on Brougham Road, Wallasey , on May 22 last year. Pornographic material recovered included more than 6,000 images and movies at the lowest category of seriousness, more than 1,000 at category two, more than 500 at categories three and four and more than 60 at category five, the most serious. Judge David Aubrey adjourned sentencing until January 28 so a pre-sentence report could be written and said Hughes would have to sign on the sex offenders register immediately. He told him: “You will now be subject to the relevant requirements on the register. “The court will consider all matters on that day and determine what is the appropriate sentence. “All sentencing options will remain open to the court.” In recent years Reverend Hughes won a £270,000 Heritage Lottery grant to rebuild the spire at St Paul’s and oversaw the move of the congregation of St Luke’s in Poulton to Park Primary after the church building closed. Following his arrest on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children he was suspended by both the Church of England and Wallasey school Park Primary where he was a governor. After charges were brought against him  a spokesman for the Church of England’s Diocese of Chester said: “Ian Hughes was suspended from all church duties as soon as these very serious and disturbing allegations became known to us.”