April 2005 Pervert preacher jailed for offences against boys, 15 A CHURCH elder and youth club leader who sexually molested a young boy and incited another to behave indecently was jailed for 18 months yesterday.  A judge told Phillip Bentham that his behaviour had been a breach of trust because of his position in the church and it had not been an isolated incident.  ‘Your offending is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate,’ said Judge Henry Globe,QC, the Recorder of Liverpool.  He banned him from working with children for life and to sign on the Sex Offenders register for ten years.  As 40-year-old Bentham was led to the cells, the father of one victim shouted out ‘pervert’ at him. Bentham’s wife, who was also sitting in the public gallery, mouthed to him ‘I love you’.  Liverpool Crown Court heard that Bentham, who is married with a young child, was an elder with the Church of God which has premises all over the country, including Fylde Road, Southport, where he was based.  The two 15-year-old boys involved in the offences were members of the church’s youth club, of which Bentham was a leader, said Miss Deborah Gould, prosecuting.  In 1997 Bentham had an inappropriate conversation in his car with one of the boys, then aged 12, but it was not until April, 2001, that he indecently assaulted him after he invited him to his home to set up an e-mail account on his computer.  When they arrived they went to his office, where the curtains were closed, and matters proceeded innocently for half an hour but the defendant then used the internet to access adult pornography,’ said Miss Gould.  He moved the boy’s chair towards him and committed an indecent offence. Miss Gould told the court that Bentham accepted that he had behaved in a similar fashion at his home with the boy on at least two other occasions.  The boy did not initially tell anyone as he did not think he would be believed. He eventually told a youth worker just before his 16th birthday but when asked about it Bentham denied it. It was only after the victim told his girlfriend last year that he decided to tell the police.  The other victim used to go to Bentham’s home to use his computer and Bentham sometimes touched his leg which made him feel uncomfortable. On October 15, 2000, while at the youth club, Bentham told the boy that he had to go home to collect something and offered him sweets to go with him, which he did.  Once there, he repeatedly suggested indecent behaviour but the boy refused to participate and eventually Bentham gave up and took him back to the club.  Details of the incident reached the same youth worker that the first boy had confided in and he again confronted Bentham who again denied it.  When interviewed by police Bentham, denied the offences but admitted there had been a sexual relationship with the first boy but said it happened after the boy was 16 years old.  The court heard that Bentham had told the probation officer who prepared a report on him that the sexual activity ‘created a buzz of excitement followed by feelings of guilt and shame.’  Bentham, of Rawlinson Road, Southport, pleaded guilty to two offences of indecently assaulting the boy between July 2000 and July 2001 and inciting the other boy to commit an act of gross indecency.  Bentham denied four other offences of indecent assault and one of indecency with the first boy and not guilty verdicts were recorded on two of them and the others were ordered to lie on the file.  Simon Killeen, defending, said that Bentham, who has no previous convictions, has already been punished by the loss of his good character and by being ex-communicated by the church.  ‘A lot of people who used to be friends no longer have anything to do with him and that is a substantial punishment,’ he said.  The first victim has sent e-mails to friends and relations of Bentham and his wife, and also to her work colleagues, with details of the case and saying that Bentham was a threat to young children, said Mr Killeen.  After the case the father of the second boy said: ‘I’m pleased he got a custodial sentence. This will help my son put it behind him and to get on with his life