A pastor who helped a minisꦕter sexually assault female parishioners has been꧋ jailed for more than eight years.
Laurence Peterson, 59, blocked doors and held victims down as Rev. John Wilson, 70, performed “grotesque” exorcisms on member of the congregation.
A jury heard Peterson may have also laced the women’s tea with drugs to make them more compliant.
The attacks took place at the Liberty Pentecostal Church, in Keighley, a town west of Leeds, over three decades and has left the victims m🔯entally scared.
Peterson, of Keighley, was found guilty of counts of conspiracy to commit indecent ass🧸ault and two charges of aiding and abetting Wilson to commit sex acts by a jury at Bradford Crown Court.
Rev. Wilson was jai💞led for 21 years earlier for a string of sex offen𝕴ces against six women.
Mary Wilson, his wife, who was found guilty of aiding and abetting he꧒r husband was handed a 22 month suspend𝕴ed sentence.
Mary, 79, sat in the public gallery alongside Peterson’s supporters from the church for the sentencing.
Judge Da🍌vid Hatton QC told Peterson he was satisfied Wilson had been the principle offend𓄧er.
But Peterson had frequently blocked the victims’ escape and barricaded one newly-wed bride inside a prayer room as Wilson sexually assaulted her as her husband tried to enter the room.
Judge Hatton said Peterson encouraged Wilson to carry out the bizarre “internal ministries” to rid the women of demons and evil spirits.
“You encouraged the pretence, for pretence it was, on the jury’s finding, that the violation that was occurring to them was necessary in their spiritual interests and well-being,” said Judge Hatton.
Peterson was jailed for eight years and two months. He is on the sex offenders register and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order indef♑initely.
He is also banned from holding senior position𓃲s in religious bodies or perform ministries.
His lawyer Caroline Goodwin QC described him as a “naïve and simplistic individual.”
Prosecutor David McGonigal said Peterson’s victims had been left feeling “disgusting and unclean,” with severe psychological problems.