Former Methodist minister admitted having indecent images of children

A FORMER Methodist minister who resigned as a chaplin at Magilligan Prison has been put on the Sex Offenders’ Register after he admitted having indecent images of children.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Feb 2012, 08:19 BST

The 52-year-old ex-chaplin William Alan Macaulay, who also quit as a youth sports coach at one of Northern Ireland’s top ladies’ hockey clubs, Ballymoney, pleaded guilty at Antrim Crown Court to a total of 14 charges dated from August to November 2010.

Macaulay, of Ballynacree Drive, Balnamore village, near Coleraine was later released on continuing bail and will be sentenced next month.

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The first of the charges he admitted, dated November 10, accused the shamed cleric of possessing a video of indecent photographs of a child or children.

The next 12 offences are seperate charges, dated from September 1 to October 14, 2010 of possessing indecent photographs of a child.

However, the final count on the indictment, charges Macauley, that between August 31and November 11, 2010, other than is alleged in the first 13 counts, he had in his possession a total of 66 indecent photographs of a child.

When initially charged the Methodist Church in Ireland released a statement confirming that: “Mr Macaulay has resigned as a minister of the Methodist Church in Ireland.”

The church also said he had “not functioned as the Methodist Chaplain to Magilligan Prison since November 2010”.