The former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon has admitted to five counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16, decades after the abuse took place.

However, it has emerged that senior figures in the Church in Wales were aware of allegations against him as early as 1993, 17 years before they were reported to the police.

By the time South Wales Police were informed in 2010, the victim had already passed away, preventing further investigation.

Anthony Pierce, now 84, served as Bishop from 1999 to 2008 and previously worked as a parish priest in the West Cross area, where the offences occurred in the 1980s.

He pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court and is set to be sentenced on 7th March, according to Wales Online. He has been released on bail in the meantime.

The Church in Wales has admitted that an internal review uncovered evidence that a small number of its members knew about a separate allegation against Pierce in 1993, but failed to pass it on to the police until nearly two decades later.

An independent inquiry has since been launched to examine how allegations were handled and whether procedural changes are needed.

Despite the allegations, Pierce was appointed Bishop in 1999 and served for nine years.

In 2002, he was made a Commander of the Order of St John for his charity work.

In 2011, Swansea University awarded him an honorary fellowship, which is now under review in light of his conviction.

South Wales Police confirmed that, due to the victim’s death in 2010, they were unable to pursue the case when allegations were finally reported.

The Church’s independent review will assess past safeguarding failures and review decisions regarding Pierce’s permission to officiate between 2011 and 2016.