Former Church of England vicar pleads guilty to child indecency charges

Geoffrey Baulcomb, a former vicar from Eastbourne, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to making and distributing indecent images of children, including videos and photos, and possessing nearly 200 images of extreme pornography. The offences, which took place while he was still ordained, included distributing an indecent image of a child and making Category A images, as well as possessing material involving threats to life and serious bodily harm. Police discovered the images during a raid on his home in December 2022, where drugs were also found. Baulcomb had previously claimed that his drug use helped him relate to parishioners, a justification the Church of England disciplinary tribunal rejected, leading to his permanent ban from any church position. He will be sentenced at a later date, with further hearings scheduled. The Bishop of Chichester stated Baulcomb was asked to stop attending his local church following the disciplinary proceedings.