A FORMER Sunday school teacher has been jailed for 14 years for sexually abusing two girls.

John Laister, 72, was sentenced yesterday after being found guilty of 11 charges including rape on two girls aged under 16.

The Sunningwell man faced accusations he abused teenage girls in the 1970s while he worked as a “house parent” at a West Yorkshire children’s home and also while he worked as a Sunday school teacher in Bradford.

And at Bradford Crown Court this week he was convicted of three charges of rape, four of indecent assault and four of indecency with a child.

Most of his crimes took place between 1976 and 1978 but the rapes happened between 1970 and 1972.

During his trial he claimed he did not have sex with the girl or rape her. He did, however, admit molesting other children.

The court previously heard Laister, who was arrested in 2012, held a book in one hand while using the other to assault a girl during story sessions at the Sunday school.

His Honour Judge Peter Benson, sentencing, told Laister: “It’s not exaggerating matters to say that in the 1970s you were a sexual predator of monstrous proportions. You were in a position of serious trust and you abused that in the most extreme fashion.”

Laister, who gave no reaction when the verdict was delivered, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone's contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.