A VICAR has denied molesting pupils more than 30 years ago when he was a primary school teacher.

James Andrew Christopher Wilson, 61, gave his defence in the dock at Plymouth Crown Court this week.

Wilson, the Rector and Rural Dean of Calstock, denies 16 counts of indecently assaulting eleven children under the age of 13. He taught at a primary school in Plymouth in the 1970s and 1980s, was ordained in 1982 and became a full-time priest in 1985.

Wilson told the court he never touched or stroked children's bare skin on their thighs and under their dresses as several witnesses had alleged.

He said: 'As a teacher, I was responsible for the welfare and education of the children. I took the role of a caring and responsible parent.

'I never touched any of them in a way that was inappropriate.'

He told the court he was responsible for the teaching of English, literacy and reading, but denied letting children read aloud to the class.

'I never asked children at that age to read to a class of 30 or more,' he said.

He told the court that children would stand at the end of his desk and read to him, sometimes in pairs, for three to four minutes.

He said his desk had two drawers side by side, not on top of each other as witnesses had claimed.

During story time, where children would all sit on the carpet and he would read to them from a chair, he encouraged an informal, relaxed atmosphere.

'Children could get close so they could get enthralled in the story. In the 70s, we were encouraged to create a family atmosphere. Sometimes they would lean on my shoulder.

'Sometimes they would sit on my lap if they were concerned or worried about something,' he told the court.

He denied towel-drying children after swimming lessons and said he had never been in the boys' changing rooms, apart from perhaps once when someone had slipped over, the court heard.

When asked by the prosecution if he stroked or rubbed the children's bare skin, he said: 'I personally cannot recall that but I would have touched children. That was what happened in the 70s and we were encouraged by our trainers to perhaps console them or make them feel welcome.'

He denied putting his hands inside boys' trousers.

When the prosecution asked Wilson what he felt each individual witness's reasons were for coming forward, he said he could think of no reason.

He added: 'I cannot get inside people's minds. It would be inappropriate to guess why they would say such things about me. All I can say is that I didn't do it and I'm telling the truth.'

Wilson also denied ever wearing any form of clergy clothing in school or to or from school, as some witnesses alleged.

A former high ranking police officer spoke in defence of Wilson at the trial.

Nicholas Crowhurst, a former chief superintendent, who has lived in Calstock for around 23 years, acted as a character witness in support of Wilson.

Mr Crowhurst said he had not heard 'a whisper, not a suspicion — nothing' regarding Wilson over the past 17 years. He had lived 150 yards from Wilson for the past 17 years, but pointed out he was 'not a Christian', had 'no sympathy for the clergy' and did not attend church, except on rare occasions with his wife.

When asked by defence barrister Paul Evans about whether anyone had come to him in recent years which would give him reason to doubt Wilson, Mr Crowhurst admitted that 'frightened and worried' people would often speak to him confidentially.

However, in the past 17 years, he had heard nothing in regards to Wilson.

He said Wilson had a 'good reputation, particularly for his social work with the lower end of the privilege scale — the poor, the dispossessed, the sick'.

He added: 'I respect him as a human being, I respect what he does.

'This matter has come as a complete surprise, not only to me but to the complete village.'

When asked by prosecuting barrister, Andrew Oldland, whether he knew Wilson in the 1970s, Mr Crowhurst admitted he did not.

Deborah Crocker, a Launceston primary school teacher, also spoke in support of Wilson. She told the court she had been assistant churchwarden at the Calstock church from 2001 until two years ago.

She described Wilson as being of 'the highest moral character' and 'scrupulously honest' who was 'held in very high regard' by parishioners and residents of Calstock.

The trial continues.