“Elm Guest House: Priest Tony McSweeney is First Arrest in Politicans’ Child Sex Abuse Ring Investigation” & related articles

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International Business Times (ibtimes.co.uk)

February 7, 2013 9:10 AM GMT

By Ewan Palmer: Subscribe to Ewan’s RSS feed

Tom Watson claimed there is “clear intelligence of a widespread paedophile ring” involving senior politicians then in power (Reuters)

A Catholic priest is one of two men arrested in connection with allegations of child abuse at London guesthouse and children’s home in the 1980s.

Reverend Tony McSweeney, 66, from Norfolk, was arrested along with a 70-year-old man from east Sussex on suspicion of sexual offences.

The allegations are linked to claims senior politicians and other high-profile individuals sexually abused boys at the Elm Guest House in Barnes, south-west London.

The arrest of the 66-year-old priest was confirmed by his diocese. Father Mark Hackeson, of the Diocese of East Anglia, said: “The church diocese takes safeguarding of children very seriously and so we will be co-operating fully in any way with the police investigation.”

Met police confirmed no current occupants of Elm Guest House, which is now a private residence, are connected to the allegations.

The arrests were made by detectives as part of Scotland Yard’s Operation Fernbridge, which was launched after concerns about historical abuse were raised in Parliament by Labour MP Tom Watson.

Speaking under parliamentary privilege in the Commons in October, Watson urged police to re-investigate evidence against former consultant to the National Children’s Bureau and convicted paedophile Peter Righton.

Watson claimed the evidence file on Righton contained “clear intelligence of a widespread paedophile ring”, adding: “One of its members boasts of a link to a senior aide of a former Prime Minister, who says he could smuggle indecent images of children from abroad.

The investigation is also looking at links between the guest house and the nearby Grafton Close children’s care home, which was run by Richmond Council.

The 70-year-old man arrested is believed to be former deputy head of the children’s home John Stingemore. Both men have been released on bail pending further inquiries.

A spokesman for Richmond Council said it “considers the safeguarding of all children and young people as an utmost priority and we take any allegations of abuse very seriously.

“As such we are offering our full support and co-operation to the police during their investigation.

“As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Director of the NSPCC helpline Peter Watt said: “We are assisting the police on Operation Fernbridge and are asking anyone with information to come forward. We will assist the police in gathering evidence and supporting those who come forward.”

Cmndr Peter Spindler from the Metropolitan Police said: “This is a complex multi-agency investigation supported by the NSPCC, Ceop and Richmond Social Services involving non-recent allegations of sexual assault against children.

“It is vital that anyone who has been affected by or has information about activity in the early 1980s at the Elm Guest House, or the Grafton Close care home, in Barnes speaks to the NSPCC on their helpline on 0808 800 5000, or their local police.”

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: e.palmer@ibtimes.co.uk
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Catholic priest held over care home ‘child sex abuse ring’

The London Evening Standard

07 February 2012

– Reverend Tony McSweeney, 66, was held along with another man aged 70

– Allegations linked to Elm Guest House and Grafton Close care home in Barnes

– The arrests were made as part of Operation Fernbridge
Allegations: the former Elm Guest House in Barnes (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty)

A Catholic priest was one of two men arrested yesterday by detectives investigating allegations of historic child abuse centering around a guesthouse and a care home in south west London.

Reverend Tony McSweeney, 66, from Norfolk, was held along with another man aged 70 from East Sussex on suspicion of sexual offences.

The allegations are linked to Elm Guest House and the Grafton Close care home in Barnes.

A Diocese of East Anglia spokesman confirmed Revd McSweeney was arrested, and said: “The safeguarding of children and vulnerable people is of paramount importance to the Catholic Church and the Diocese is co-operating fully with the police in this investigation.”

The arrests were made as part of Operation Fernbridge, which was launched after concerns were raised by MP Tom Watson.

Speaking in Parliament in October last year, he said that a file of evidence used to convict Peter Righton of importing child pornography in 1992 contained “clear intelligence” of a sex abuse gang.

Mr Watson alleged that a member of the group had bragged about links with a senior aide to a former prime minister.

A spokesman for Richmond Council, which ran the care home, said: “Richmond Council considers the safeguarding of all children and young people as an utmost priority and we take any allegations of abuse very seriously.

“As such we are offering our full support and co-operation to the police during their investigation. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

Director of the NSPCC helpline Peter Watt said: “We are assisting the police on Operation Fernbridge and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

“We will assist the police in gathering evidence and supporting those who come forward. It’s important we recognise the massive impact abuse has on children and young people, often well into their adult life.”

The charity’s 24-hour helpline, which is staffed by trained counsellors, is also available by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk or via text message to 88858.

Commander Peter Spindler from the Metropolitan Police said: “This is a complex multi-agency investigation supported by the NSPCC, Ceop and Richmond Social Services involving non-recent allegations of sexual assault against children.

“It is vital that anyone who has been affected by or has information about activity in the early 1980s at the Elm Guest House, or the Grafton Close care home, in Barnes speaks to the NSPCC on their helpline on 0808 800 5000, or their local police.”

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Operation Fernbridge: Norfolk priest Tony McSweeney arrested 

A Catholic priest has been arrested in connection with alleged child abuse at a London guest house during the early 1980s, his diocese has said.

BBC News UK

06 February 2013

Operation Fernbridge is looking at claims that senior political figures and others sexually abused boys at the Elm Guest House in Barnes.

The Diocese of East Anglia said one of those arrested is 66-year-old priest Tony McSweeney, from Norfolk.

The other is a 70-year-old man who was arrested in East Sussex.

Father Mark Hackeson, of the Diocese of East Anglia, said: “The church diocese takes safeguarding of children very seriously and so we will be co-operating fully in any way with the police investigation.”

Scotland Yard said the allegations were not connected with current residents of the former guest house, which has been converted into residential flats.

It is also investigating links between the guest house and the nearby former Grafton Close children’s care-home run that was by Richmond Council.

The 70-year-old arrested man, from St Leonards-On-Sea, is understood to be John Stingemore, who used to help run Grafton Close, which closed some years ago.
‘Utmost priority’

BBC News home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the police investigation centred on claims that the guest house was used by people to abuse boys from the home.

The allegations were investigated at the time but resurfaced in October after Labour MP Tom Watson raised the case in Parliament and called for further inquiries.

Mr Watson had been passed information by journalists working for the investigative news website Exaro.

Commander Peter Spindler, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Investigations unit, said the “complex multi-agency investigation” was supported by the NSPCC charity, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and Richmond Social Services.

He said anyone affected by, or with information about, activity in the early 1980s at the guest house or care home should contact the NSPCC or police.

In a statement, Richmond Council said it considered “the safeguarding of all children and young people as an utmost priority and we take any allegations of abuse very seriously”.

A spokesman added: “We are offering our full support and co-operation to the police during their investigation. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The NSPCC said its helpline number 0800 800 5000 was staffed by trained counsellors 24 hours a day. People with information could also use the email address help@nspcc.org.uk to contact them.

NSPCC helpline director Peter Watt said: “We will assist the police in gathering evidence and supporting those who come forward. It’s important we recognise the massive impact abuse has on children and young people, often well into their adult life.”

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