Canon Gordon Rideout to face sex abuse trial

A retired Church of England priest from East Sussex has denied committing 38 sexual offences against 18 children and young teenagers. Canon Gordon Rideout, 73, of Filching Close, Wannock, is accused of committing offences between 1962 and 1973 in Crawley, London and Hampshire. He pleaded not guilty at Lewes Crown Court to 36 counts of indecent assault and two counts of attempted rape. Mr Rideout was remanded in custody to face trial at a later date. A total of 31 of the 38 offences are alleged to have been committed at a property in Crawley, West Sussex, and one in Barkingside, east London, between 1962 and 1968. A further four indecent assaults are alleged to have taken place in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, between 1971 and 1973. The other two allegations are of attempted unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl in Crawley between 1962 and 1966. Mr Rideout was charged in June following an investigation by Sussex Police.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20005254