Methodist Church leader on trial for alleged sexual assaults

Summarised from CornwallLive's report · Updated 5 Nov, 22:50 · Archive

A Methodist Church leader faces trial over allegations of sexual assault against multiple women.

Reverend Steven James Wild is on trial at Truro Crown Court charged with ten counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The alleged incidents are said to have occurred between 2004 and 2019 in Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly, Southport, Bristol and Derbyshire. All alleged victims were adult female members of the Methodist Church at the time. Wild, 72, from St Ives, denies all charges.

One alleged victim told the court she felt panicked when Wild hugged her longer than was acceptable when they first met. She described feeling 'shaken' and 'scared of what he might do next'. She also said that when she attempted to report the incident to a senior minister who was Wild's friend, she was dismissed and told that reporting the matter would be 'spreading Satan's lies about the Church'.

The alleged victim described how Wild had shaken her hand for longer than necessary, put his arm on her back and squeezed her lower shoulder while staring at her in what she characterised as abnormal behaviour for a church member.

Read the report

• Senior Methodist Church man fobbed off alleged victim of leader's sex assault because they were mates, court hearsDay two of the trial of the former leader of the Methodist Church in Cornwall highlighted how alleged victims were not heard by senior members. 'He said it was because of this spiritual work and I would be spreading Satan's lies about the Church if I told anyone about it.'CornwallLive · 5 Nov, 14:18

In this story: Reverend Steven James Wild · Methodist Church · Truro Crown Court · Cornwall · Devon · Isles of Scilly

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