A CROWN court trial involving a clergyman from Calstock began in Plymouth on Monday.

Canon James Wilson, 61, a former teacher, faces 16 counts of indecent assault involving eleven children under the age of 16 — the charges relate to alleged incidents in the 1970s and early 1980s at Pennycross School in Plymouth. Mr Wilson denies all the charges.

Andrew Oldland, prosecuting, told the court Mr Wilson was a lay reader in the Church of England at the time of the allegations, but later became a deacon in 1982 and a priest in 1983.

The jury was told he was currently based in East Cornwall but had also been a priest at parishes in Plymouth, Plymstock, Lifton, Saltash and Yelverton. He is a canon and a rural dean.

Mr Oldland said the first complaint regarding Mr Wilson came after a woman in her late 30s saw a television programme about child abuse by the clergy and became upset.

He said: 'The next day she went to the police and said she was in his class at the age of seven or eight and would be called forward to read to him or to the class.

'She stood to his left, her lower half concealed from the class by his desk, and she felt him touch the inside of her leg and work his way up.

'At that age she did not know it was wrong. She didn't like it much but when she tried to stand away from him he pulled her back towards him.

'Having spoken to the police this lady contacted others who were at primary school with her through Facebook.'

Mr Oldland said other complainants came forward later and added: 'There are eleven of them and we say their evidence is mutually supportive.'

The 39-year-old woman told the jury she had suppressed memories of her alleged abuse at the hands of Mr Wilson. She said she told nobody about it until she saw an item on the news last year .

She told the court that police had suggested to her the case would be stronger if other victims came to light and she then trawled her Facebook friends.

She said: 'I never told them what happened to me. If people were going to come forward they would know what I was talking about as soon as I mentioned his name.

'I just asked what people thought of him. I contacted a number of people but only five responded. One replied that I needed to call her because it had brought back some not-so-good memories. Another came back saying "OMG hope it wasn't too bad".'

 David Evans, defending, questioned the woman's statement in which she said she remembered seeing Mr Wilson wearing a dark suit and a clerical dog collar.

He said: 'The fact is Mr Wilson wasn't a vicar when you were at Pennycross School.'

'The defendant never touched you in any sexual way did he?'

The woman asked why other witnesses would come forward if she was lying.

Mr Wilson denied the allegations when he was interviewed by police after the complaints were made.

He said: 'My conscience is clear'.

The trial continues and is expected to end next week.