Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Former prison chaplain up on child porn charges

A Methodist minister who was chaplain to prisoners at Magilligan Prison has been charged with indecent child photograph offences. 

It has now emerged that 51-year-old Rev Alan Macaulay has quit the church and he has also left his position as a youth coach at one of Northern Ireland's top ladies' hockey clubs, Ballymoney.

William Alan Macaulay, from Ballynacree Drive in Balnamore village near Coleraine, appeared at North Antrim Magistrates Court facing two charges.

The first is that between April 23, 2010 and November 10, 2010 he made an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children.

The second count is that between the same dates he had an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children in his possession. 

A Court Service spokesman said the accused has yet to formally plead either guilty or not guilty and he was released on £500 bail to appear in court again at the end of August.

The spokesman said bail conditions stated he must live at an approved address, not have any contact with any child or young people under 18, and not use a computer unsupervised or take, send, receive or store any photographic or video images.

A Methodist Church in Ireland representative said: "Mr Macaulay has resigned as a minister of the Methodist Church in Ireland. He has not functioned as the Methodist Chaplain to Magilligan Prison since November 2010."