FORMER church minister Robert Taylor who was jailed for more than 14 years last week for raping and sexually abusing six children has died in prison, it was announced today.

Taylor, 52, of Bowling Park Drive, West Bowling, Bradford, died on Monday, five days after he was imprisoned at Bradford Crown Court.

This morning, the Ministry of Justice confirmed that Taylor had died. A Prison Service spokesperson said in a statement: “HMP Leeds prisoner Robert Taylor died on 17 August and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been informed.”

Taylor’s death comes less than five months after he walked into Bradford’s Trafalgar House Police Station and confessed to being “a paedophile and a sexual predator.”

He went on to plead guilty to 17 charges, including six counts of orally raping children, sexual assault of children under 13 and sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Bradford Crown Court heard that he was an ordained minister of the church and had worked as a chaplain in the city. None of his offending was connected to his work in the ministry.

Bradford-based youth group Emerge has issued a statement following the news of his death.

Inspired by members' Christian faith, Emerge's youth workers deliver specific programmes in partnerships with churches, schools and others to boost the lives of at-risk children.

Emerge said: "The trustees and staff team of emerge have been accutely aware of the impact on many of the news report last week relating to Robert Taylor.

"While the police have established that Robert's offences did not relate to his role as a school chaplain or former youth worker, we want to reiterate our commitment to the safety and protection of children and young people in our community and are appalled by any harm to children.

"We also feel the shock and sense of broken trust the news has brought. It is with further regret that we learned that Rob died this weekend.

"We recognise that the nature of these events will impact our community very deeply. We offer our condolences to Robert's family and heartfelt sympathy to the victims and families involved in this matter.

"The emerge staff will continue to offer support to whomever needs to talk or process what has happened."

Anyone in need of help should call or text 07840288554 for help. 

Taylor had been in prison on remand since April 2 when he handed himself into the police.

He confessed to indecently touching six children and abusing them.

It was an addiction, he said, and he had stopped after “seeing the error of his ways.”

Alasdair Campbell, Taylor’s barrister, told the court: “It is rare for an individual who has committed such heinous crimes to walk into a police station and confess to them.”

Judge Jonathan Rose labelled Taylor “a perverted sexual predator.”

“You are indeed a dangerous man. There’s a significant risk of serious physical or psychological harm by the commission by you of serious sexual offences in the future,” he said.

He labelled Taylor’s offending “heinous, wicked and evil.”

He was a predator who carefully selected his targets, escalating the abuse.

“It was disgraceful, perverted and persistent abusive behaviour,” Judge Rose said.

He sentenced Taylor to an extended prison sentence of almost 22 years. The custodial term was 14 years and nine months with an extended licence period of seven years.