A RETIRED Methodist minister has appeared before magistrates accused of hypnotising boys before sexually abusing them while he served in the church.

Northallerton Magistrates Court was told Reverend John Price, of Bedale, denied 11 historic child sex-related offences, alleged to have happened between July 1978 and February 1988, and another of indecently assaulting a man, between February 1988 and February 1989.

Price, who was making his first appearance in court over the alleged offences, which were allegedly carried out within the two North Yorkshire circuits where the minister, worked at that time.

It is understood Price, who is now aged 81, worked as a circuit minister - officiating at multiple churches - in several places in the North for more than two decades, before retiring in 1998.

Eight of the charges relate to indecently assaulting boys aged under 14 and three of indecently assaulting boys aged under 16.

Kim Coley, prosecuting, said Price began serving in the North Yorkshire area in 1976 and his four alleged victims were “young, impressionable males”, one of whom, she alleged, had met the minister for study assignments while training for a role in the church.

She said it was alleged Price had said he would help one of the alleged victims with his nerves by hypnotising him, and that the other alleged victims had made “very similar allegations”.

Gary Wood, for Price, said his client would be pleading not guilty to all the charges.

Magistrate Georgiana Sale adjourned the case until October 14 for a pre-trial hearing at Teesside Crown Court.

While there are scores of methodist churches in North Yorkshire, there are about ten circuits, including Thirsk and Northallerton, North Yorkshire Coast, Ripon and Lower Dales, Ryedale, York and the Yorkshire Dales.