A CHURCH of England vicar sexually abused a young boy when he was head teacher at a Bradford school, a jury heard yesterday.

David Fletcher, 63, denies seven allegations of indecent assault, relating to a child aged between nine and 15, and a charge of sexually assaulting the same complainant on a single occasion when he was an adult.

Fletcher, who is vicar of a church in East Yorkshire, was deputy head teacher at St Oswald’s Church of England Primary School in Little Horton, Bradford, before becoming head teacher at St Barnabas School in Heaton, Bradford, the jury at Bradford Crown Court was told.

He is alleged to have indecently touched the boy, thrusting his body at him and “snogging” him over a seven year period, which spanned the late 1980s and into the 1990s.

The complainant has also accused Fletcher of sexually assaulting him in a kitchen on a date between 2009 and 2011.

Prosecutor Ian Howard told the jury that the complaint had also accused a former vicar at St Oswald’s Church, Australian national, Graham Doyle, of sexually abusing him but he was not before the court.

“The Rev Doyle is out of the jurisdiction, beyond our shores. He is not being prosecuted,” Mr Howard said.

The court heard that the complainant had looked on Fletcher “as a father figure” because his own father was not around.

He has accused Fletcher, now living at Pulham Lane, Wetwang, Driffield, but then living at Queensbury, of “snogging him”, putting his hands up his shirt and touching him indecently.

Mr Howard said Fletcher inveigled his way into the boy’s life, gaining his trust to abuse him.

The court heard that Fletcher changed career paths in 2001 when he was ordained into the Church of England priesthood and became vicar of a church in East Yorkshire.

It was allegedly that years afterwards Fletcher “came on to” the complainant, then an adult, once more, trying to kiss and touch him.

The man went to the police with his accusations about Fletcher and Doyle in 2014.

When he was arrested by the police, Fletcher denied all the allegations.

Giving evidence to the court by video link, the complainant said he had been a boy searching for a father figure and at the time he thought he had found “his perfect family”.

“I respected him and wanted to be loved as part of a family,” he stated.

He said of Fletcher: “He used to kiss me like a girl.”

The man said he was abused by Fletcher when he went to his home at Queensbury to help feed and clean out the goats on the family’s smallholding.

The man has also alleged that Graham Doyle would watch him shower and sexually abuse him when he was 12 or 13.

“Psychologically, I am in a mess because of them,” he said.

Cross-examined by defence barrister Rodney Ferm, the man agreed he was much physically stronger than Fletcher but said he still felt terrified of him.

The man, who is now married with children, said he had sung in a church choir as a child and was still religious, although he no longer attended church.

Fletcher's defence is due to start today.

The trial continues.