A church deacon from Brighton and Hove has been charged with eight sex offences involving a webcam and is due before magistrates next week.
Peter Keeley-Pannett, 71, had been working in the parish of Portslade and Mile Oak. The parish includes St Nicolas Church, in the Old Village, St Andrew’s, in South Portslade, and the Church of the Good Shepherd, in Mile Oak.
He is also known as Peter Pannett and was the curate at St George’s, in Kemp Town.
Sussex Police said: “Peter Keeley-Pannett, 71, of Bristol Road, Brighton, has been charged with eight sexual offences and is due to appear on bail at Redhill Magistrates’ Court on (Monday) 28 September.
“They are – three offences of making a total of 150 indecent images of children, one of attempting to cause a boy over 13 to engage in sexual activity, two of causing a boy aged 13 to 15 to watch images of sexual activity and two of causing or inciting a boy aged 14 to engage in sexual activity.
“The prosecution results from an investigation by the Paedophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT) of Surrey and Sussex Police.
“Until his arrest in November last year Keeley-Pannett was a non-stipendiary deacon in the Church of Englands Chichester Diocese.
“All the charges of sexual activity relate to the alleged use of a webcam and none relate to physical contact. None of the alleged victims are from Sussex.”
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Chichester said today: “Mr Keeley-Pannett was arrested in November 2014.
“Following communication between Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove City Council and the diocese at the time of the arrest, Mr Keeley-Pannett was immediately suspended from all his duties in church.
“This a standard precautionary measure applied to any similar case. As the matter is before the courts, we cannot comment further at this stage.”
