Anthony White

A former Catholic priest, Anthony White, aged 67, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for a non-recent sex offence committed against a child in the late 1980s. White, who was known as Father Tony, was found guilty of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 following a trial at Guildford Crown Court. The sentencing took place on Tuesday, 4 November 2025.

The survivor, who was in his early years of secondary school at the time, first encountered White through his involvement with St Joseph's Church in Epsom. White exploited his position of trust within the church and his role in local clubs to select and groom the young boy. Over the course of several years, the abuse occurred repeatedly at White's home. It began with isolating the child by leaving him alone in a room for extended periods, which gradually escalated to exposing the boy to explicit material and committing acts of indecent assault.

Following each incident, White manipulated the child by blaming him for the occurrences and shaming him into silence to prevent disclosure. This calculated behaviour ensured the survivor suppressed his experiences for decades. The report to police was prompted by the survivor seeing press coverage of White's prior conviction in 2022 for similar non-recent sex offences investigated by Sussex Police, for which he is currently serving a 10-year sentence. This latest conviction will run consecutively to that term.

Surrey Police's Complex Abuse Unit conducted a thorough investigation after the survivor's courageous report, with specially trained officers providing support throughout the process. The church fully co-operated with the investigation and initially encouraged the survivor to come forward. Detective Constable Katherine Peters commended the survivor's bravery, stating: "I’d like to commend the bravery of the survivor for coming forward and supporting the police investigation after so many years. The conviction of White in 2022 for his crimes in Sussex brought back memories for the survivor who had suppressed his experiences for decades." She further highlighted White's deliberate actions: "White used his position as a priest to build trust with the young boy. His abhorrent actions were deliberate and calculated, designed to ensure the survivor did not feel able to speak out about the continuing abuse."

Peters emphasised the commitment to justice: "No matter how long ago events happened, we were always look to investigate child sexual abuse and seek justice for victims, ensuring they feel supported at every stage." The case underscores the long-term impact of child sexual abuse and the importance of reporting such crimes, even decades later. Source: Surrey Police official news release, published 14 November 2025.