A MONK from Ampleforth Abbey today confessed to a string of sexual crimes against young boys at a preparatory school connected to the monastery.

Father Piers Henry Grant-Ferris, 72, pleaded guilty 20 times in the dock at Leeds Crown Court to charges of indecent assault, and was immediately warned he faces a jail sentence.

His crimes were committed against 15 boys, all aged under 12, between September 1, 1966, and July 31, 1975.

The monk, who wore a priest's uniform, had his head bowed for most of the 15 minutes it took to read out the charges, but from time to time he lifted his head to look straight at the clerk as he entered his pleas.

After he sat down, his barrister, Patrick Cosgrove QC, said: "He is an unusual defendant in that following an explanation of the law on indecent assault he went away and strove to plead guilty to as many as he could and should (of the charges), rather than the normal pattern of defendants who strive to avoid culpability."

The barrister said the monk fully understood the way that courts viewed crimes against children, but he said: "Given the range of offences which you

know come before the courts, these are towards the bottom of the range."

However, Judge Ian Dobkin said that all sentencing options remained open, including a jail sentence, and that all offences involving children, of whatever age and under whatever circumstances, were serious.

He adjourned sentence at the defence's request, so that a consultant

psychiatrist could prepare a report on Grant-Ferris, assessing his risk to other children, and a probation officer could prepare a pre-sentence report.

Grant-Ferris will be sentenced before the end of January, but the

actual date is yet to be decided.

The monk was released on bail, with conditions that include living at Ampleforth Abbey and avoiding all unsupervised contact with children.

The court heard that the abbey's prior has pledged to inform the police should Grant-Ferris leave the abbey for any reason.

The court clerk read out 27 charges against the monk, who was a teacher at Gilling Castle Preparatory School in the 1960s and up to 1975.

In addition to the 20 guilty pleas, the monk denied six further charges of indecent assault, and one of indecency with a child.

The nature of the abuse varied from child to child, and on many occasions involved the use of a thermometer.

Updated: 11:36 Saturday, November 19, 2005