A former priest has admitted to discussing having sex with children online.
Timothy Gardner has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), using aliases online, and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offense involving children.
The 52-year-old, whose status as a Dominican priest was revoked following earlier convictions, is set to be sentenced on 14th March at Newcastle Crown Court.
The charges include one count of breaching the SHPO, three counts of failing to comply with notification requirements, and one count of encouraging or assisting the sexual assault of a child under 13. Gardner was remanded in custody following his guilty plea.
The court heard that Gardner used an online chat service in 2022 under the aliases “Matt” and “Family Doctor” to send messages capable of encouraging child sexual assault. He also violated the terms of his SHPO by refusing police access to two SD cards. Gardner was later issued with a new SHPO restricting his use of internet-enabled devices.
A report by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) revealed that Gardner, through an "inappropriate association" with Bishop Robert Byrne, had “unrestricted access” to diocesan premises. This access presented a significant safeguarding risk, the report concluded.
The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle has distanced itself from Gardner, emphasising that he had “never been a priest” in the diocese or held any roles within it.
In a statement issued to the BBC, the diocese condemned Gardner's crimes and reiterated its “zero-tolerance approach to abuse.” The statement also confirmed that Bishop Byrne, who resigned in December 2022, had been “thoroughly investigated and rightly heavily criticised” for his association with Gardner in the CSSA review conducted in June 2023.
The diocese affirmed its commitment to safeguarding, stating that it had “always cooperated fully with the authorities” and adhered to “stringent safeguarding guidelines” of the Catholic Church.
Gardner’s criminal history dates back to 2013 when he was found in possession of over 500 images of children and more than 5,000 prohibited images on his computer. In 2014, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also issued a five-year sexual offenses prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.
