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| Ex-church leader guilty of abuse | Ex-church leader guilty of abuse |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A former president of the Methodist Church in Ireland has pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court to sexually abusing a schoolboy 40 years ago. | A former president of the Methodist Church in Ireland has pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court to sexually abusing a schoolboy 40 years ago. |
| Kenneth Best, 62, from Belfast, pleaded guilty to six specific charges of indecent assault between 1 January 1963 and 31 December 1966. | |
| He was aged 19 when he first abused the teenager who was then aged 14. | He was aged 19 when he first abused the teenager who was then aged 14. |
| Best, head of the Methodist Church from 1996 to 1997, was granted continuing bail pending reports. | Best, head of the Methodist Church from 1996 to 1997, was granted continuing bail pending reports. |
| He was released after signing the sex offenders' register. | He was released after signing the sex offenders' register. |
| Belfast Recorder, Judge Tom Burgess, who asked for a victim impact report and also ordered pre-sentence reports on Best, said releasing him on bail, "in no way ties my hands to the eventual disposal of this matter". | Belfast Recorder, Judge Tom Burgess, who asked for a victim impact report and also ordered pre-sentence reports on Best, said releasing him on bail, "in no way ties my hands to the eventual disposal of this matter". |
| Defence lawyer Eugene Grant said that in addition to the pre-sentence report on Best, who will be sentenced next month, a number of other reports on him will be provided for the court. | Defence lawyer Eugene Grant said that in addition to the pre-sentence report on Best, who will be sentenced next month, a number of other reports on him will be provided for the court. |