A Diocese of Oxford vicar has been jailed for 15 months following for having caused or incited sexual activity with a girl age 13 to 17. Last week the Rev. Peter Jarvis (51) vicar of St Michael’s Church in Spencers Wood was sentenced after he had entered a guilty plea before the Winchester Crown Court earlier this year. In December 2014 he was acquitted by the Reading Crown Court on seven counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three count of sexual activity with a child and one of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity with four different girls from Newbury and Thatcham between 2008 and 2011. However, the jury could not agree on the 12th count of inciting sexual activity and the jury was discharged. The Crown Prosecution Service refiled the 12th count, leading to February’s guilty plea. The Bishop of Reading, the Rt. Rev. Andrew Proud said Jarvis’ actions filled him with “sorrow and regret”. “We recognise that the suffering of survivors of sexual abuse is profound and long lasting. The Church of England will not tolerate abusive behaviour in its clergy or anyone else for whom we have pastoral responsibility. All those involved in this sad case remain in my thoughts and prayers.”
