Richard Lucas, 68, of Victoria Road in Warmley, subjected his young victims to “sustained acts of sexual abuse” for several years during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
He was sentenced today (Monday, April 9) at Bristol Crown Court after pleading guilty to all 11 counts of indecent assault on boy aged below 12.
Lucas, who has appeared on BBC’s Songs of Praise, was finally charged in 2017 for his crimes more than three decades after they were first committed.
Although his second victim made a statement to police in 1993 about the abuse he had endured at the hands of the preacher, officers took no action against Lucas and allowed him to continue working within the church, and teaching both at schools and privately.
Lucas abused his first victim, who was aged 11 at the time, while he was a preacher at All Saints United Church in Longwell Green and a private music teacher.
The complainant said he was particularly vulnerable time in his life because his brother was very ill at the time, a malady he later died from and his parents had divorced.
Over the course of a year, Lucas abused the boy while giving him lessons at his family home. He also abused him within an upstairs room at the church, and while seated at the church organ.
In 44 separate occasions, Lucas abused the complainant, convincing him he was performing a natural act on him rather like CPR or resuscitation and said he should look forward to his visits.
The complainant was eventually able to tell his mother about the abuse, who then cancelled lessons with the choirmaster and had an argument with him. In the father&apos;s statement he recalls hearing the mother call Lucas a “pervert”.
After that, Lucas moved to a church in North Common just outside Bristol where he began abusing his second victim who was aged between eight and 10.
From 1990 to 1993, the complainant saw Lucas at his home almost every day while he was giving him private tutorials.
Lucas would tell him the abuse was “their little secret” and being young, the complainant was too scared to speak out for fear Lucas would hurt him.
During the hearing, the judge said the level of abuse had a significant impact on the two boys in terms of their education and relationships.
As men, they both still suffer severely with what happened to them. The first complainant has wrestled for years with why his parents did not go to the police.
The complainant chose to read out his victim impact statement in court and in it he said: “I feel he robbed me of my childhood. I was subjected to things an 11-year-old boy should’ve known nothing about.
“I want Lucas to go to prison and want him never to be able to do this to another child,” he added.
The second victim has been haunted by Lucas’ continued freedom despite going to the police with what happened to him after two years of prolonged sexual abuse.
He also had to cope with continuing to live in the same areas as Lucas while he was growing up.
It was only 23 years later, when Lucas’s first victim came forward to the authorities in 2017, that his previous complaint was revisited.
Mr Posner told the court the second complainant was “relieved” when he finally received a phone call from the police to say they were reopening the investigation.
The complainants statement was read out in court by Mr Posner, in it he said: “I believe it put me back years. It also upsets me to see how deeply it has affected my parents, particularly my father who appears to be a broken man in the knowledge he could not protect me."
His Honour Judge Hart imposed a lengthy custodial sentence on Lucas taking into account the acts he carried out in the boys, the significant impact it had on them and the "gross" abuse of power.
In mitigation, Lucas’ defence barrister Catherine Spedding said the defendant said his actions were “utterly wrong” and showed remorse. Lucas attributed his behaviour in part to a difficult relationship he was in at the time. Probation services reported it was unlikely Lucas would reoffend.
Investigating officer DC Clare Ball said she hoped both victims would be able to find closure now.
She said: “Richard Lucas was calculating and used his position of trust to select boys he could manipulate and abuse.
“I’d also like to thank the safeguarding lead at the church and our partner agencies for the support they’ve given us throughout this inquiry.