UK bishop jailed for sex assaults

LONDON: A British court on Wednesday jailed a former bishop with links to the royal family for 32 months after he pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting teenagers in a case that has prompted accusations of a cover-up.
Judge Alan Wilkie said Peter Ball, 83, had taken advantage of aspiring priests for his own “selfish sexual motives”.
London’s Old Bailey court heard that Ball had made victims strip naked and suggested they submit to beatings in claims ranging from 1977 to 1992.
The former bishop of Lewes in southern England avoided charges after allegations arose in 1993.
At the time, Ball—who once described Prince Charles as a “loyal friend”—received support from a number of establishment figures, including a member of the royal family, the court heard.
Ball last month pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office and two counts of indecent assault on men in their teens after failing in his attempt to get the case thrown out.