Retired Methodist minister who abused boys under hypnosis jailed for eight-and-a-half years

A retired Methodist minister from North Yorkshire, who used hypnosis on four boys before abusing them, has been jailed for eight-and-a-half-years.

John Price, 82, from Bedale was found guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault following an earlier trial at Teesside Crown Court.

The court heard he found ways of being alone with the boys, who were aged between 11 and 17, and claimed he could help them with stress and pain through hypnosis.

Jailing him for eight and a half years, Judge Howard Crowson said as a minister he had been expected to show compassion and care for the boys, but instead he abused them.